Baby Ru’s family ‘engaging’ but some question how much

Friday, 3 November 2023

Ruthless-Empire also known as Baby Ru died in the Hutt Valley, leading to a homicide inquiry.

The dozen days that have past since Baby Ru died from blunt force trauma should have seen him turn two. Instead it has been almost a fortnight of questions, with few answers. .

Three adults were with Ruthless-Empire — or Ru — before he died and they are understood to be the three people police say are of “particular interest” in the homicide inquiry.

Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard said on Thursday they “continue to engage with us” .

But, the three adults who were in the Taita house on the night of October 21 have evidently not given police the crucial information leading to an arrest.

“A homicide investigation is by its very nature methodical and detailed, and establishing the facts can take some time,” Pritchard said.

A source familiar with the family has suggested that the three in question have not been entirely forthcoming, and this has led to the police delay. There was talk, the source said, that more than one person could have been behind the fatal injuries and that was leading to delays.

To Child Matters chief executive Jane Searle, who said she did not know what was happening behind the scenes in this case, it had all the hallmarks of baby killings such as Chris and Cru Kahui and Comfort Joy Witeri-Thompson.

The deaths of Chris and Cru Kahui was infamous for the family closing ranks.

Both had those who knew what led to the tragedies closing ranks, frustrating detectives.

In the Kahui case, their father, also Chris, was acquitted of their murder but coroner Garry Evans was able to compel him to testify when a court could not and found that Chris Kahui was to blame for their deaths.

In 2018, Tīrau toddler Comfort Joy Witeri-Thompson died from head injuries and investigating police implored “co-operation of family and close associates in bringing those responsible to account”.

Her mother Southern Cheyenne Thompson was eventually jailed, in 2022, for a minimum of 17 years for the murder.

“To charge someone, you have to prove every part of that offence. If you have not got co-operation it can be very difficult,” Searle said.

Searle has seen about 33 reviews and reports into Oranga Tamariki and its predecessors over the past 30 years but said what was needed was a government ready to take the common themes in those and instigate them.

Southern Cheyenne Thompson was found guilty of killling her baby.

This meant more resourcing and training, reducing case loads of social workers, better co-ordination between agencies and better working with on-the-ground community organisations.

“We can never give up and accept the status quo,” she said.

“We have to insist that we get change.”

The National and Labour parties have been approached for comment.

While the exact details officially available to police remain unknown, the people in Baby Ru’s house on the fatal night have been active on social media and, out and about in the community. It is understood some family members attended a blessing at the Taita house on Thursday.

One of the inhabitants, known to have a violent history and gang links, posted on social media of having her own baby uplifted. It has also been confirmed a person at the Taita house was facing violence charges and had been granted bail in September.

Uncle Ngatanahira Reremoana this week revealed that Ru had lived with him on and off in Taupō and would also stay with his grandmother in Wellington. He said he had raised a complaint with child protection agency Oranga Tamariki 11 months ago.