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A social worker viewed a caregiver convicted of the involuntary manslaughter of a 10-month-old twin as a “safe person,” even though he was aware of a conviction for indecent assault and the prior exaltation of his own three children.
Shane Claude Roberts, 61, was found guilty last week of the murder of Karlos Stephens, after a second murder trial in Superior Court.
Over the course of the nine-day trial, the jury heard that the twins were left in Roberts’s care by his mother Pamela Stephens, who had met him only a few weeks earlier.
She was struggling to cope with the twins and their four other children, and Roberts agreed that he, his ex-wife, and their children would care for them.
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He also denied hurting Karlos.
“Simply put, Mr. Roberts’ position is that he did not hurt Karlos, he did not cause the injuries that eventually led to his death,” said defense attorney Simon Lance.
After ten hours of deliberation over two days, the jury found him guilty of the murder of Karlos.
Child Youth & Family, now Oranga Tamariki, social worker Sarah Easthope-Wilson, who assessed that Roberts was a safe person to care for Karlos and his twin, testified at trial for Roberts’s defense.
Benn Bathgate / Stuff
After two murder trials in Superior Court, Shane Roberts was found guilty of the murder of Karlos Stephens last Friday.
In a written statement to ThingsTasi Malu, regional manager for Oranga Tamariki Bay of Plenty, declined to answer questions about Roberts’s indecent assault on a child’s conviction, or the earlier uprising.
While the conviction and the uprising were considered damaging and were not revealed at trial, two sources close to the case confirmed both.
However, Malu confirmed that one of Roberts’s own family members contacted the agency with their concerns.
“The concerns involved negligence, not drugs. Also, there was a report of concern from another person involving drugs. “
Court documents obtained by Things revealed that the report of concern was filed on October 7, 2014 and focused on “green liquid coming out of one of the baby’s ears.”
Things
After 10 hours of deliberation over two days in Rotorua High Court, the jury found Shane Roberts guilty of the involuntary manslaughter of Karlos, but not murder.
When the notifier suggested to Roberts that he should take the baby to a doctor, he replied “they don’t need a doctor.”
The documents also revealed that Tipu Ora, a Maori Kaupapa community provider in the Lakes DHB region, contacted Child Youth and Family on July 31, 2014 with her concerns and a request for the organization to review the twins.
That check ultimately went to Easthope-Wilson.
“My evaluation assured me that I was a safe person,” he told the court.
“I just saw those two beautiful twins bonding with their father. They gave me no cause for concern. “
Easthope-Wilson said he made his first visit to see how the twins are on Sept. 5, 2014, although he later gave evidence that he may have seen them before. However, he admitted that there was no note from a previous visit on file.
“Some of these notes, I just realized why they are not mine. They could have been the student’s [student social worker]. Not that I want to put him in danger. “
Just over two months later, on Sunday November 30, Karlos was pronounced dead at Rotorua Hospital, and forensic pathologist Dr. Paul Morrow cited “oxygen deprivation to the head, caused by trauma” as the cause of death.
Easthope-Wilson was also asked at trial about a visit to Roberts from Tipu Ora after they refused to let them in.
“Did that make you reassess the safety of the twins?” Asked Crown Prosecutor Amanda Gordon.
“No.”
Malu said the death of a child was devastating.
“I want to acknowledge the ongoing pain Karlos family must feel,” Malu said.
However, he added that at the time of his death, “Karlos and his twin brother were not in the custody of the executive director of Child, Youth & Family.”
While CYF was investigating, concerns about Pamela Stephens [Karlos’ mother] ability to keep babies safe, she hadn’t cared for the twins or placed them with Roberts. “
The revelations of the agencies’ role come after Oranga Tamariki chief Grainne Moss told the Waitangi Court that structural racism existed “at all levels” at the child welfare agency.
The agency has also come under fire after it was revealed that they visited the home of another 10-month-old baby due to concerns about his well-being just under three weeks before his father beat him to death.
Easthope-Wilson remains in the service of Oranga Tamariki and Roberts will be sentenced on February 12 of next year.
