Audreana Hinemataroa Chantle Aramakutu

Audreana Aramakutu, was killed when she was 15 months old. She suffered a skull fracture, ruptured intestine, broken ribs and severe bruising to her abdomen. The result of being punched repeatedly. Audreana knew her killer, but justice will never be hers. Her mother's partner Jason Lee David James was charged with murdering her, but was subsequently found not guilty. Audreana's story starts on May 23, 1993. "She was a horrible birth. It was a 36-hour labour. It wasn't the greatest," Horne said. "But she was an awesome baby, really good from the time she was born." Maioha met and started a relationship with James, who has taken his own life. Horne had walked into the city, which was just a stone's throw from her Rotorua house, to use a pay phone. She left Audreana with James. "When I came back, she was just lifeless on the couch," Horne said. "There was a doctor just three houses up from where I was living, so I picked her up and ran her up there. I had no idea what was going on or what was wrong with her." The doctor rang an ambulance and they were taken to Rotorua Hospital. "When we got to the hospital, her head swelled, within minutes of being there. They said her skull was fractured and there was fluid building up in her brain and she was just brain dead." Surrounded by her grandparents, uncle and her mum, Audreana's life support was turned off on August 24, 1994. There was nothing anyone could do. "Everything was slowly starting to unfold about what happened to her and her injuries and the extent of them," Horne said. "Because there was more than just the fractured skull. Her intestines had been ruptured, she had bruising all over her stomach. One of her ribs was broken as well." Horne asked James what had happened to her daughter "I asked him and he was just, like, I don't know. I don't know what happened. I didn't do anything." James was arrested that night and charged with murder. James would blame Horne for her daughter's death during the trial, something she denies. "I asked him after he had got out. Off the charge: Why did you do it? ... He said it was because she wouldn't stop crying." Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/74072315/beaten-to-death-jus...