A Wellington coroner has recommended that kaumatua and tohunga be consulted in suspected makutu cases.
Ian Smith's comments were made in his findings into the death of Janet Moses, who accidentally drowned in 2007 while members of her family tried to cure her of a Maori curse, or makutu.
Several members of Ms Moses' family were tried in the High Court and five were eventually found guilty of her manslaughter and ordered to serve various community-based sentences.
In his findings, Mr Smith says it would be inappropriate for him to make a definitive direction on what should happen in such cases.
However, he says where makutu is suspected, tohunga (priest) and kaumatua (elders) should be consulted so that the affected person's family receive the correct advice about how to deal with the situation.
