http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=124&objectid=10451806
NZ Herald
July 16 2007; 13:15
Court hears details of alleged sexual assault of murdered girl
NZPA
Charlene Makaza
DNA from George Evans Gwaze was
identified in the underwear of his 10-year-old niece who was found unconscious
at his home and later died in hospital, Christchurch District Court was told
today.
The Crown has charged 54-year-old
Gwaze with the murder and sexual violation of Charlene Makaza, and is calling
evidence from 58 witnesses at the depositions hearing which began today.
The hearing is expected to finish
tomorrow, with only seven witnesses being called to give evidence in person.
The rest of the evidence is being handed to Judge John Bisphan in written form.
Crown prosecutor Kerryn Beaton said
Charlene had been the niece and adopted daughter of Gwaze and his wife and
lived with them at their home in Hollyford Avenue, in the Christchurch suburb
of Bryndwr.
On January 5, Charlene and her
sisters went to a church service and returned home about 10.30pm, and she went
to bed.
When her adopted mother' alarm went
off at 5.45am next day, she could hear Charlene's unusual breathing and found
her in bed unconscious and very unwell.
The girl had soiled herself and the mother
stripped off the bottom clothing, wrapped her in a towel, and the family took
her to the after hours surgery.
She was rushed from there to
Christchurch Hospital by ambulance where intensive efforts were made to
resuscitate her.
While in the intensive care unit,
medical staff found she had serious injuries consistent with sexual assault.
Charlene had a hypoxic brain injury
and multiple organ failure and died about 18 hours after she was found.
"The sudden onset of hypoxia
was the result of asphyxia, the obstruction of the airway to the point of
unconsciousness, but there was no evidence of manual strangulation," Miss
Beatson said.
An intensive police investigation
followed to establish whether a stranger had entered the house and injured her.
ESR scientists took bedding and the
clothes she was sleeping for testing. They later identified DNA found in her
underwear as Gwaze's.
Miss Beaton said the crown case was
that after Charlene came home that night, she had been sexually violated and
asphyxiated, causing her subsequent death. When interviewed, Gwaze denied any
role in what happened.
Charlene's family are at court for
the hearing.
The first witness was a nurse at the
after hours surgery, who gave evidence of the family bringing Charlene in.