The mother of the toddler killed by blunt force trauma appears to be telling whānau different versions of what occurred on the night her son died.
Ruthless-Empire, or ‘Baby Ru’ died on October 22 – just shy of his second birthday – after he was taken to Hutt Hospital in Wellington in an unresponsive state.
Police said he died of blunt force trauma and had serious injuries and bruising on his body. They said the injuries were not accidental and believe they were suffered up to 12 hours before death.
There were three persons of interest who were thought to be at the house at the time: Ru’s mother and two members of the extended whānau.
Via Baby Ru’s uncle, the child’s mother Storm Angel Wall has offered two explanations to Stuff of what happened on the night Ru is believed to have suffered blunt force trauma.
On Wednesday morning, Ngatanahira Reremoana, who is acting as a family spokesperson, said Wall told him she put Ru to bed at 7pm and had a shower. She then went to bed, assuming he was asleep, and didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary and didn’t see him until the next morning.
Ngatanahira Reremoana/Supplied
Baby Ru was a happy smiling toddler, who died two days short of his birthday.
On Wednesday night, Reremoana shared a different version of events from Wall, who then said the other woman at the house told the mother to go to bed, and she would care for Ru that night on her behalf.
“Ruthless was in the care of [the other woman] that night.”
The mother appeared to contradict what she told Reremoana in an interview with other media. She said Ru was put into her bed at 10pm, and she gave him a hug and he appeared to be alright, when she had previously told Reremoana she didn’t see him until the next morning.
On social media, the other woman, who says she has been interviewed by police twice, rejects she was babysitting Ru.
“We never were babysitting. His mother was there. We brought them back from abuse and now the (sic) shit. I’ll get justice.”
Reremoana said the mother would be willing to do a video interview soon, but said “at this time she is grieving the loss of her baby”. Stuff repeatedly asked to speak to Reremoana and the mother to find out which version of events was correct. No response has been received.
On Thursday, the detective in charge of the investigation said he understood the “immense feeling and emotion in the community about what has taken place, and can reassure the public we are taking this incredibly seriously”.
Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard said three people of interest were continuing to engage with police as they continued their investigation.
Ngatanahira Reremoana/Supplied
The little boy died from blunt force trauma to his head, but also had several bruises on his body.
“A homicide investigation is by its very nature methodical and detailed, and establishing the facts can take some time.
“Like Baby Ru’s wider whānau and the community, police are determined to establish exactly what happened, and to form a picture of events that led to his death”.
A source familiar with the family suggested to The Post that the three in question have not been entirely forthcoming, and this has led to the police delay.
Since Baby Ru died, there has been bitter infighting among whānau after Ru’s mother claimed on social media that her son had been murdered.
“My son was everything to me and y’all already knew my son was murdered.”
Another member of the household fired back saying, “everyone that knows me knows our kids are our everything, and we would never do anything like this b….. her family are saying”, they said in another post.
The whānau who looked after Baby Ru for half his life spoke of their heartbreak after they had battled to get Oranga Tamariki to intervene in December last year.
Reremoana said Baby Ru lived on and off with his family in Taupō and said Ru would also stay with his grandmother in Wellington.
Reremoana was concerned about Ru being “in and out” of drug houses when he was in Hamilton and said he made a formal complaint with Oranga Tamariki in December 2022. Stuff has seen a copy of an email sent on December 26.
“I wanted to take the baby back to Taupō,” Reremoana told Stuff.
He said the ministry designated with protecting children didn’t intervene.
“I do believe Oranga Tamariki let us down”.
Oranga Tamariki did not directly address questions from Stuff about a complaint from Reremoana.
Ngatanahira Reremoana/Supplied
He spent his life between Taupo and Hamilton before he moved to Wellington with his mother in October.
When asked again to verify whether Reremoana had laid a complaint, OT said they were unable to confirm, citing privacy.
But in a general statement in response to questioning from Stuff, chief executive of Oranga Tamariki Chappie Te Kani said Ru’s death was weighing heavily on his mind.
“However, we are actively working alongside our partner agencies to piece together what, if any, support Baby Ru and his whānau were receiving at the time of his death, and if interventions could have occurred.
“We are in the process of thoroughly reviewing every interaction and decision that was made in relation to Baby Ru and his whānau, with the oversight of our Chief Social Worker Peter Whitcombe. We must protect everyone’s privacy and we are currently not able to go into details”.
Ngatanahira Reremoana/Supplied
Ruthless-Empire also known as Baby Ru.
“Whenever a child is killed Oranga Tamariki staff feel it deeply.”
He confirmed Ru was not in their custody or care at the time of his death.
Stuff also approached Kelvin Davis for comment about the uncle’s complaint. However, the Minister for Children said it would not be appropriate for him to comment on the basis he is in the role in a caretaker capacity, while a new government is formed.
Reremoana’s family continued to be part of Ru’s life and checked on him despite a difficult relationship with his grandmother. Ru was given back to his mother in July. His father lives in Auckland.
Grandmother Ahipene-Wall knew one of the men police termed a person of interest in the case, because he had lived next door in Hamilton before moving to Poole St in Lower Hutt.
Reremoana said Ahipene-Wall and her daughter’s relationship broke down, and she arranged for Ru to be taken to Wellington around three weeks ago.
Ru’s Taupo whānau were not told where Ru was. Reremoana said they would have immediately uplifted Ru had they known where he was, as they didn’t believe the toddler would have been safe.
Ahipene-Wall has not responded to Stuff.
