A Hawkes Bay kaumatua says the whānau of a boy severely beaten are distraught and devastated and says Oranga Tamariki need to accept responsibility for their part in the case.
The police say they haven't been able to work out how the four-year-old suffered such extensive injuries, including severe brain damage, at his house.
It's understood the boy was returned to the household, in which he was injured in June last year, without consultation with whānau, some of who opposed his return.
A kaumatua and community leader, Des Ratima, has been supporting the whānau.
He spoke to Māni Dunlop about the case and how he believes Oranga Tamariki need to step up.
