9 Dec 2024

Murder and manslaughter charges laid after death of 8-year-old boy

5:02 pm on 9 December 2024
No caption

Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon

A 25-year-old woman has been charged with murder following the death of an 8-year-old boy in Bay of Plenty's Te Teko.

Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Wilson said the boy died on 15 November.

The woman was initially charged with assault but following a search warrant in Whakatāne on Monday morning, she has now been charged with murder.

She is also facing charges of assaulting a child and assault with a weapon.

The woman remains in custody following an earlier court appearance.

Wilson said another woman, 61, has also been arrested following the search warrant.

She is facing charges of manslaughter, assaulting a child and assault with a weapon.

Both women are due to appear in Whakatāne District Court on Tuesday.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.