Baby Ru homicide: Journalists targeted outside court
Thursday, 23 November 2023
Journalists attending a hearing for a person of interest in the Baby Ru homicide case were targeted outside court in Wellington today.
Police inquiries are under way after journalists from media organisation NZME were allegedly pushed into bushes by supporters of Rosie Morunga, a person of interest in the homicide investigation into the death of Ruthless-Empire. Morunga was among the group consisting of six or seven women, a witness said.
Two staff members from The Post were also present. One of them, who was shoved, described it as their 'closest call in many years outside court'.
She heard yelling from the group while leaving the building, then court security staff rushed past to intervene. The two journalists were on the ground, she said. They were claiming to have had their phones taken and were taken back inside by security. An ambulance was called.
Joanna Norris, managing director of Stuff Masthead Publishing, of which The Post’s journalists worked for, condemned the incident.
“We’re working to determine what has happened. It is likely we will be discussing that with police,” Norris said.
“In principle, any attack on our staff in the course of their work is completely unacceptable. Journalists should be free to go about their work without interference.”
A representative from NZME said it was a police matter and “we don’t have any comment to make at this time”.
Police say they were called around 3:45pm to Hutt Valley District Court following reports of an altercation having taken place outside a short time earlier.
“It appears a personal item had been taken from an individual during the altercation,” a spokesperson said.
“Ambulance was called to check over one person. Inquiries are continuing as to what happened – there have been no arrests at this stage.”
The scuffle happened after Morunga’s appearance in court for charges unrelated to the Ru homicide case. Ruthless-Empire died on October 22 in Taita, after being taken to hospital by Morunga, her partner Dylan Ross, and Ru’s mother Storm Wall.
All three are persons of interest in the case.
Morunga refused to speak to reporters at an earlier court appearance on November 8.