Family First New Zealand [a registered charity – CC10094 – with the Charities Commission] believes that Chris Kahui should be charged for ‘negligent parenting’ and is questioning why the police are not willing to pursue a prosecution. Its Media Release issued 21 October 2012 states:

“It is quite clear from the Coroner’s report that the actions, or more correctly, the inaction of Chris Kahui had an adverse effect on the timing of urgent treatment which the babies needed,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “The Coroner’s report says that medical evidence shows the babies could have been saved if taken to hospital earlier.”

“We would argue that the police should be seeking to charge Mr Kahui under s152 crimes act – a parent failing to provide necessaries and protect from injury.”

“There were a number of actions which a reasonable parent would have taken in the circumstances. The family were advising Chris to take the babies to hospital because of their presenting conditions and Chris’s sister was heading there anyway – but he refused. The Coroner found he hid the details of how unresponsive the twins had been and their feeding patterns and wellbeing when their mother returned home.”

“And when the doctor told the parents to urgently take the children to hospital, Mr Kahui deserted his partner and went home and played playstation while his children were fighting for their lives,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“It seems clear that Chris Kahui failed as a caregiver on decisions which were life and death decisions, and he should be held accountable for them.”

152 Duty of parent or guardian to provide necessaries and protect from injury

• Every one who is a parent, or is a person in place of a parent, who has actual care or charge of a child under the age of 18 years is under a legal duty—
  • (a) to provide that child with necessaries; and
  • (b) to take reasonable steps to protect that child from injury.

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  • Source: Media Release 21 October 2012
  • http://familyfirst.org.nz/2012/10/chris-kahui-should-be-charged-for-negligent-parenting/