Ngatuaine Shannen Apiti-Vaevae

A young mother has pleaded guilty to the infanticide of one of her five children. Terangi Metuatini, 21, admitted causing the death of 26-month-old Ngatuaine Shannen Vaevae at their Otara home last December. The Crown dropped a murder charge after three psychiatrists concluded that Metuatini was suffering from an imbalance of the mind due to childbirth. She had three other children at the time, including a 10-month-old, and was pregnant with a fih. Yesterday, Metuatini's lawyer, Barry Hart, said the circumstances were unusual. "Usually infanticide comes about by killing the child you have just had ... "It is quite unique or it's certainly a very unusual case where you have actually killed not the child you have just had but an older child." Under the Crimes Act, infanticide can apply to any child of a woman suffering an imbalance of the mind due to childbirth. The child must be under 10 years old. The maximum penalty is three years' jail. According to the police summary of facts, Metuatini became angry because the child was pulling her sister's hair and not eating dinner. She hit the child, causing her to fly from her chair and hit her head on the linoleum floor. The blow was so hard that it le bruising on Metuatini's right hand and wrist. Later, the child refused to get dressed for bed and Metuatini hit her again, causing her to fall and hit her head on a television cabinet. The child was taken to hospital with an extensive skull fracture. She died two days later when her life support was turned off. Metuatini, who was five months pregnant at the time, has since given birth to another daughter Mr Hart said the remaining children were safe. "She's fine now. She has now got all the support she needs. "What was happening was that she wasn't really getting any help from anybody else and no one really realised the symptoms." Metuatini has been remanded on bail for sentencing in the High Court at Auckland. Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/mother-admits-infanticide/DEP7ZQNSWLX...