Community leaders have asked the Whangārei community to rally together after three children died in less than a week – two in a double homicide in Ruakākā and one at Abbey Caves
On Monday morning, a homicide investigation was launched after two people, who Stuff understand are children aged 1 and 4, died.
Stuff also understands police were called to the property by a woman.
Just a week earlier, a teenage boy died in Abbey Caves after being swept away by floodwater during a school trip.
READ MORE:
* Children aged 1 and 4 dead, police have ‘person of interest’ in Ruakākā homicide investigation
* WorkSafe visited Abbey Caves tragedy school weeks ago after machinery injured teacher
* Dad who stopped son going on fatal Abbey Caves trip asked school if they’d go ahead in rain
Deputy mayor, and councillor for the Bream Bay ward, Phil Halse said it seemed to be one thing after the other for Northland at the moment.
“It’s a difficult time for the community to handle another situation like this.”
Chris Mckeen/Stuff
Forensic staff carry items from the scene of an alleged double homicide in Ruakākā on Monday.
Halse said he had heard from a number of community members throughout Monday, who were all very upset.
“We really feel for the people involved… we hope the community can pull together and offer as much support [as they can].”
Local man Jed Smith said the incident would have a very negative impact on the community.
“It couldn’t get any worse” he said. “That’s a whole other level of horrible.”
Former MP for Whangārei Dr Shane Reti said the community had been hammered by two tragedies in a short space of time.
“It’s another tragedy of young people – there’s an intense sadness that the community is feeling, a weight of sadness.”
Reti called for the community to wrap around those that were grieving.
Lawrence Smith/Stuff
The community would be feeling a weight of sadness after being hammered by two tragedies, former Whangārei MP Dr Shane Reti said.
Whangārei MP Dr Emily Henderson said the news of the homicide investigation, alongside the death of Karnin Ahorangi Petera in Abbey Caves last week, was heartbreaking.
“The only thing [the community] is thinking of is the sad loss of our community’s children,” she said.
“We are all heartbroken today.”
On Monday, police confirmed that two people were located dead at a house on Peter Snell Rd.
“Northland Police have launched a double homicide investigation in Ruakākā this morning,” Detective Inspector Bridget Doell said in a statement.
Police were tightlipped with details, but said they were “speaking with a person of interest”.
“While we appreciate the wider interest in what has occurred, police aren’t in a position to release any further details at this stage,” said Doell.
“Our investigation is still in the early stages and we are currently speaking with a person as part of enquiries,” police said.
Kāinga Ora’s Jeff Murray confirmed the incident had happened at one of their homes in Ruakākā.
“[We were] very sad to learn this morning of what police are describing as a sudden death incident at one of our properties,” Murray said.
Thoughts were with the whānau and with the small community who will all feel the impact of the tragedy, he said.
Ruakākā is a small, seaside town north of Waipu and south of Marsden Point.
Instances where multiple children are killed in homicidal circumstances are very rare in New Zealand. The most recent case was in 2021 when Lauren Dickason allegedly murdered her three daughters in Timaru. She is due to stand trial in July.
According to the Homicide Report, an average of nine children are killed in New Zealand each year – every eighth homicide victim.
