By Adam Hollingworth
The police are urging four adults who were in an Auckland house when a two-year-old died last week to come clean about what happened.
Detectives say the story all four adults are telling just does not match up with the facts.
It is a case with eerie echoes of the Kahui twins.
James Joseph Ruhe Lawrence, or JJ, suffered a violent death at an Orakei home on Monday.
His mother, her boyfriend, who is not the father, and another unrelated couple were there.
Detective Inspector Scott Beard says the results of the post mortem showed that young JJ had suffered a severe blunt force trauma to the abdomen which caused major injuries to his vital organs.
“I was present. They were horrific; those injuries from the post mortem were horrific.”
Mr Beard is accusing the adults of colluding on their story, but says scientifically it cannot have happened.
“What they've told us happened to JJ is inconsistent with the post mortem results. So somewhere there knows the truth and we want them to tell us the truth.”
Family members have set up a Facebook tribute to JJ. “Our baby nephew was stolen from us and his daddy and it's not fair.”
Child, Youth and Family say JJ first came to their attention four weeks ago but they had been unable to track down JJ or his mother.
Neighbours would not appear on camera, but in a week where there has been a constant police presence there is plenty of speculation.
It is a close-knit community and children often play together but few had seen JJ playing outside the family home.
But JJ’s story is reminiscent of recent high-profile cases.
Child advocate Christine Rankin says the four adults must have taken notes on the Kahui twins so-called "tight twelve" who stuck to their story, and there still has not been a conviction.
“We haven't learned anything from the Kahui’s. It's been a long time and here we go again,” says Ms Rankin. “Tell the truth. If they've got any love for that child at all this is the last thing they can do for him. He deserves that.”
But unless any of the four spilled the beans to another witness the truth may be hard to prise out.
3 News