Decision disappoints Kahui's lawyer

The lawyer for Chris Kahui says her client is disappointed an inquest into the deaths of three-month-old twins Chris and Cru Kahui has been postponed indefinitely.

Chris Kahui Source: stuff.co.nzThe South Auckland twins died in Starship Hospital in June 2006 after being admitted with head injuries.

Their father, Chris Kahui, was acquitted of their murder in 2008.

His defence was that the twins' mother Macsyna King was the killer, but she has never been charged.

Kahui's lawyer, Lorraine Smith, said she was disappointed the inquest had been postponed and her client was keen for it to start.

"Chris Kahui supports the inquest because it's going to bring closure to him. This is the last step in the process," she told Radio New Zealand.

"The purpose of the inquest is to look at the whole healthcare system to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again, that babies do go home to a safe environment and they're not going to die."

Hone Kaa, the head of Te Kahui Mana Ririki, which aims to prevent abuse of Maori children, said the twins would never get the justice they deserved, but the inquest would go some way.

"It's not just those twins who require some sense of closure, the public deserves some sense of closure as well, and the more it's put off the more agonising it becomes."

The inquest was due to begin on February 22 in Auckland District Court, but that date had been "vacated" and no new date had been set.

Authorities were understood to have had trouble finding King, who may be living in Australia.

Center:Macsyna King Source: stuff.co.nz Right:Chris and Cru Kahui Source: angelizdsplace.com


Chief Coroner Judge Neil MacLean said earlier the point of an inquest would be to take a wider look at the deaths, including how they happened and whether anything could be done to prevent similar deaths in future.

A number of groups, including the Ministry of Social Development, two district health boards, the Families Commission and police were to take part in the inquest, along with the Crown, lawyers, Kahui and King.

Kahui murder investigation head Detective Inspector John Timms said in October the case was not closed but police had had no new information since Kahui's acquittal.

They would assess any new information from the inquest, he said.

Source: TVNZ

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HANA 09-02-2010 13:17:06
This is sick ... bring back capital punishment!!! If you�re that cold hearted, have no remorse and violently KILL babies then they should all be given life for the lives they have taken away. Wake Up Aotearoa take the rose coloured glasses off and see this for what it actually is - MURDER!!! If they don't do anything with this case then this inhumane torture, afflicting merciless harm to others and brutal murders will just continue like it always has been... im just saying how it is.
Nat 08-02-2010 15:34:53
What i find very wrong is, after last week's 33 dog killings, the government is looking at tighter laws to protect animals and stop abuse, and everyone agrees and is all for it. But when we introduced the anti-smacking law to protect children and stop abuse towards children, people complained, protested and are still opposing the law...what gives people? you would rather save the life of a dog than the lives of innocent babies like these?
Susan M. 08-02-2010 15:02:10
is anyone as outraged about this as i am. a murderer walks free after killing two innocent babies and there has been NO explanation. and somehow the court is happy with this. i find it very hard to swallow. there should be a cry of anger from the public over this.
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