14-07-2025
Malachi Subecz inquest begins
Malachi Subecz.
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The inquest into the death of a five-year-old who was killed by his carer has begun with hearing evidence about the injuries he suffered.
Malachi Subecz died at Starship Hospital in 2021.
He was being looked after by Michaela Barriball near Tauranga while his mother was in prison, and Barriball was later convicted of his murder.
At the Auckland Coroner's Court on Monday, Police Detective Inspector Craig Rawlinson, who was responsible for investigating the death, expressed condolences to Malachi's mother, Jasmine Cotter, and cousin, Megan, who would speak as part of the inquest.
"It's terrible what they've had to go through," he said.
"I want to acknowledge the strength they've shown over the past three and a half years being a voice for Malachi, making sure that he's not forgotten and doing everything possible to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again."
Detective Inspector Rawlinson warned that the evidence he would share was distressing and confronting.
"It's important to hear Malachi's story for what it is and understand the circumstances that he found himself in so we can move forward, take the lessons learned, make things better, and prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.
More to come..
