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.