The Press
January 12 2007
Death probe
by Janine Bennetts
The family of a dead Zimbabwean girl
is "highly stressed and distressed" as police continue to probe the
unusual circumstances of the 10-year- old's death.
Charlene Makaza died in Christchurch
Hospital early last Sunday after being found in her bed with breathing
difficulties on Saturday by her aunt and uncle at their Bryndwr
home.
Police, who have said the girl died
of suspected suffocation, were yesterday continuing to interview the family and
examine the home.
Charlene and her 12-year-old sister
had been cared for by their aunt and uncle since their parents died when they
were young.
Christchurch lawyer Susan Lewis, who
is representing the family, would not comment on the investigation except to
say the family was "highly stressed and distressed".
South Island Zimbabwean Association
secretary Taz Mukorombindo
said the aunt, uncle and sister were still staying with relatives in Hornby.
They were waiting for the
investigation to be completed before funeral plans could be made, and it was
likely the body would be sent back to Zimbabwe, Mukorombindo
said.
The family was not coping well with
Charlene's death and there was confusion in the community over how she had
died.
He said members of the Zimbabwean
community believed she had died from natural causes as a result of breathing
difficulties.
Detective Inspector Malcolm Johnston
said medical staff, who had come to Christchurch
Hospital from Auckland when Charlene was admitted on Saturday, initially
thought her condition may have been related to pneumonia, but that had been
ruled out as the inquiry progressed.
Police were still waiting for test
results to come back from the post-mortem, but early findings had strongly
suggested suffocation, he said.
A scene search earlier in the week
had ruled out the possibility of an intruder in the home.
Police hoped to complete the scene
investigation today, and Johnston said family members might be able to return
to their home at the weekend.