Woman Charged with Manslaughter After 5-Year-Old Found Dead at Napier Beach
A 64-year-old woman has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of a five-year-old boy whose body was recovered from West Westshore Beach in February.
Emergency services responded to reports of a body in the water at Westshore Beach on the evening of February 5, locating the five-year-old boy at about 1:30 a.m. after he had gone missing earlier that day. Detectives from the Hawke’s Bay Crime Squad conducted a thorough investigation that culminated in a manslaughter charge against a 64-year-old woman. The suspect appeared before Napier District Court on Wednesday and is due back for a further hearing on October 16.
Detective Sergeant Kate Hyde stressed that the decision to charge was made with great care and that the investigation was handled sensitively. Community officials expressed condolences to the boy’s family, describing the incident as a tragic loss for the area.
