Sunday Star Times
January 14 2007
Dead girl's sister put in care amid sex claims
by Deidre Mussen
The sister of dead schoolgirl
Charlene Makaza has been taken into care amid allegations someone sexually
assaulted Charlene before killing her.
Police are refusing to comment on
reports that Charlene, 10, was sexually assaulted before she was suffocated in
her Christchurch home last Saturday.
Charlene lived at the rental
property in Hollyford Ave, Bryndwr,
with her 12-year-old sister, aunt, uncle, and two cousins aged 20 and 24. The
girls' parents died when they were young and the girls had emigrated from
Zimbabwe to New Zealand to live with extended family about two years ago.
A Child Youth and Family spokeswoman
yesterday confirmed Charlene's sister had been taken into CYF custody, but
would not say why.
Last Saturday, Charlene's aunt and
uncle found her unconscious and having difficulty breathing in her bed. She was
taken to Christchurch Hospital, but never recovered and died at 1am the next
day. A post mortem showed she had been suffocated, but results from a second
post mortem are expected this week. Other test results, including swabs from
her body, are also awaited.
Last week a Zimbabwean community
leader claimed Charlene's death was the result of pneumonia.
Police emphasised
the house showed no evidence an intruder broke in. All family members were home
when Charlene was found unconscious.
"We don't have any specific
suspects," homicide investigation head Detective Inspector Malcolm
Johnston said on Friday.
Yesterday, a relative said the
family was not talking further to media and had appointed a lawyer to represent
them.
Police had spoken with the family
and inquiries were ongoing.
Yesterday afternoon, Charlene's body
remained at the hospital morgue despite it being released to the family last
Tuesday. The family expects to decide this week whether it will return her body
to Zimbabwe.
Neighbours described the family as "very
nice" and "quiet people who kept to themselves".
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CAPTION:
Far left, dead
girl Charlene Makaza. Left, her friends and family outside the house.