Lilly-Bing

Tortured and killed by her step-aunt Patricia Dawn Rachealle Namana and her sister Rongomai Wahine Paewai [also sexually violated, but culprit not identified].

The final fear-filled days of a tormented child by Alison Horwood (abridged): Lilly-Bing was the daughter of Terina Matiaha and Joshua Karaitiana. Grandmother Josephine Matiaha dropped Lilly-Bing off at the run-down weatherboard home in semi-rural Charles Street, Carterton, that her step-daughter Rachealle Namana shared with her partner, David Hemopo. Namana decided to toilet train Lilly-Bing, who was suffering from rotavirus. When the 23-month-old could not get onto the steps to the adult-sized toilet Namana smacked her legs several times. Namana sat her on the adult toilet and left her there clinging to the seat for about three hours. Lilly-Bing had also fallen several times that day, had a big bump on her head, and had trouble walking. Lilly-Bing had also suffered recent traumatic penetration [within 24 to 36 hours of her death], resulting in a vaginal vault laceration and intra-peritoneal haemorrhage [doctors agree that the genital mutilation with internal haemorrhaging, including in her abdomen, bowel and hymen, and her vagina and torn peritoneum was serious enough to kill her if the head injuries had not done so first]. Paediatrician Dr Dawn Elder wrote, "The injury is a result of aggressive force behind a penetrating object which could have been a knife handle or finger or long cylindrical object, including a penis." Later in the morning Lilly-Bing fell down stairs and hit her head on a concrete path. Lilly-Bing lost consciousness at kohanga twice that afternoon, but no help was sought as the sisters were trying to hide the vaginal injury. She also had internal haemorrhaging following a recent blow to the upper abdomen. Later Namana and Paewai applied a boiling hot compress to the 'egg' on Lilly-Bing's forehead [24 hours before death] which caused a thermal scald, removing the top layer of skin. The next day Lilly-Bing could hardly stand and even though it was winter a visitor noticed that she was naked outside apart from a nappy. Later that day Namana shook Lillybing in a violent manner (consistent with a 6m fall on to her head) causing a major cerebral injury, which was the direct cause of her death. She also had deep abrasions to the hands suggesting she had been tied or bound, her chin and lip were torn consistent with a blow or blows and she had severe bruising on the front of her head. The sisters checked Lilly-Bing, putting ice on her head between 6 & 7pm as she was 'burning-up'. The ice became stuck and when they removed it skin came away. Indications are that Lilly-Bing was already dead by this time, her wee body covered with more than 90 bruises and abrasions, her tongue and the hood of her clitoris also bruised. Four of her baby teeth were loose and she had several fingerprint marks and a fingernail indentation on her scalp. At 11pm Namana and Paewai finally bundled the dead toddler into the kohanga van and went to get help. Relieving house surgeon Dr Madhu Sudan Singh at Masterton Hospital could immediately tell that Lilly-Bing was dead and rigor mortis has set in. See https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-final-fear-filled-days-of-a-torme...

According to the police summary of facts read to the High Court at Wellington yesterday: "Lillybing's vagina had, in fact, suffered recent traumatic penetration, resulting in a vaginal vault laceration and intra-peritoneal haemorrhage. Both the accused knew something serious had occurred recently but were scared of the consequences of bringing the injury to the attention of medical people." Crown prosecutor Grant Burston said during the preliminary hearing the sisters may have been protecting a relative who had sexually violated Lillybing. "Namana shook Lillybing in a violent manner causing a major cerebral injury, which was the direct cause of the death of Lillybing." The brain injury was consistent with a 6m fall on to her head. Lillybing also suffered a severe abdominal bruise that occurred around the same time as the fatal shake. She had deep abrasions to the hands suggesting she had been tied or bound, her chin and lip were torn consistent with a blow or blows and she had severe bruising on the front of her head. There was also evidence of genital injuries that could have been several weeks old. The little girl had more than 90 bruises and abrasions which, in post-mortem photos, covered her tiny body like the spots on a dog. Even her tongue and the hood of her clitoris were not free from bruising. But perhaps most horrific was the genital mutilation, which doctors agreed was serious enough to kill her if the head injuries had not done so first. Despite intensive investigations by police there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone with her sexual violation.Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-final-fear-filled-days-of-a-torme...

"In the days leading up to her death, she must have been a miserable wee girl. She was suffering from Rota virus, was covered in bruises and scratches, was violated and bleeding internally, and had horrific scalding burns on her face, shoulder and pubis."It would have been little wonder if she cried continuously; cried so much her aunty Rachaelle Namana finally shook her to death to silence her.” Source: https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/195

It was 11.30pm on July 23rd 2000, when Cheryl Daley-Nooroa answered her door to Rachealle Namana and Rachealle's sister Rongomai Wahine Paewai. The woman had 23 month old Hinewaoriki Karaitiana-Matiaha with them. After hearing that the baby, known as Lillybing, had been falling over and was hard to wake, Cheryl urged them to rush her to hospital. In the dark she thought she saw the toddler move. During the drive to the hospital Rachealle Namana held Lillybing upright on her lap and rubbed her back. Upon arriving at the hospital close to 12am, it was discovered that the baby girl had been dead for 5-7 hours and had sustained a massive facial burn, injuries to the vagina and abdomen and a fatal brain hemorrhage. The movement that Cheryl Daley-Nooroa had seen had been the motion of Namana rubbing the stiffening infants' back... In the High Court at Wellington on the 18 May 2001, Rachealle Patricia Dawn Namana pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Hinewaoriki Karaitiana-Matiaha (Lillybing). Both Namana and Rongomai Wahine Paewai pleaded guilty to twice ill-treating Lillybing and twice failing to provide the necessaries of life. Rachaelle Namana has since been jailed for six years and Rongomai Paewai for two years. The evidence relating to the vaginal injuries has been suppressed and remains unsolved at this time. Source: http://www.crime.co.nz/c-files.aspx?ID=10661#:~:text=In%20the%20Hig...).

At 12 kilograms, Lillybing was not much bigger than a rag doll when her Aunty Rachealle shook her so hard that her brain swelled up and she died on Sunday, July 23 last year. An autopsy would also reveal that Lillybing suffered from haemorrhaging in the abdomen and bowel from blows to the tummy. She was burnt so badly it looked like she was wearing a grotesque Viennese mask. Even her tongue and her clitoris were not free from bruising. And someone, "some bloody bastard", Josephine says, tears streaming down her face, had sexually abused her granddaughter so badly she would have died from the injuries if the shaking had not killed her first. Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/faces-of-innocents/81062932/faces-...

Police took two months to arrest Rachealle Namana [stepsister of Terina], Rongomai Paewai [sister of Namana] and David Hemopo [Namana's partner], and complained early on that inquiries were being frustrated by members of the family who were not cooperating in their investigation.

Sources

1. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/the-final-fear-filled-days-of-a-torme...
2. https://childabuseinnz.wordpress.com/my-memorial/
3. https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/faces-of-innocents/81062932/faces-...
4. http://www.crime.co.nz/c-files.aspx?ID=10661#:~:text=In%20the%20Hig...).
5. https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/195