MAORI INFANT'S DEATH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 18, 26 October 1943, Page 5

MAORI INFANT'S DEATH

CHARGE OF NEGLECT MONTH'S SENTENCE LUTOSEE In the Whakatane Police Court last Thursday a Maori man and woman Watene Tuhora and Turupou Reha were jointly charged with wilful neglect of an eight months old child who subsequently died in the Whakatane public hospital on. August 22 last as a result of- multiple bone fractures and severe Internal injuries. The case was heard before Mcssr " G. Brabant and J. King, J.P's, am concerned the. mother of the ehil< and the man with -whom she ha< fceen living at Pekatalii. In her evi dence Turupou Reha the mothe said she was 21 j r ears of age aim ihad been living with the. other ac • cused for the past, three months jwith her eight months old chile HV'latai Kore Whakahawea Reha, tin (deceased. Some two weeks before ithe child was admitted, to the hosi . pital she had noticed swellings or (the arms and legs but she did no I !know of any reason for the injuries ' .On the. advice of an aunt she subsequently took her to the doctor whe itold her that the child was suffering from a fractured leg and a fractured arm and othcy injuries. Her only explanation of the injuries was that they may have been due to the conditions under which they Ave re JiA-ing. She admitted that they slept four in a double bed three adult - men and herself and that on. this occasion the child may have -been crushed when she was - nursing it in her sleep. It may ■have been injured' by the feet -of the other two men who slept at the foot of the bed. Such an accident was quite possible. The sAvclling over the baby's right •ear Avas probably sustained in the same Avay. She could swear that she /ihad never ill-treated the child. Dr. Dawson, Medical Superintendent of the Whakatane Hospital, described the condition of the child ••when' first admitted to the hospital. :His examination revealed that, it was suffering from multiple injur-