Child Youth and Family (CYF) says it knew the two people who killed Moko Rangitoheriri but it is refusing to discuss its role in the case.
Tania Shailer and David William Haerewa in court yesterday. Photo: SCREENSHOT / TV3
Tania Shailer and David William Haerewa were yesterday given the highest sentence ever imposed in New Zealand for the manslaughter of a child - 17 years in prison.
They will have to serve a minimum non-parole period of nine years for subjecting the three-year-old boy to months of abuse, leaving him with a ruptured bowel and head injury that killed him.
But the case is not over.
Questions remain over the role of social agencies including CYF and Women's Refuge.
Women's Refuge did not respond to questions from RNZ and CYF said it would not talk about the case until the Coroner completed his inquiry into Moko's death.
An earlier statement said it became involved days before Moko was killed because his caregiver, Shailer had reported she was worried that he and his siblings would not be safe with their mother.
It did not check on the children but said it did not let Moko's family down.
