Detectives in Palmerston North are investigating the circumstances that led to the critical injuries of a child in the city yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, 19 August).
Police and ambulance were called to a house in Hulme Street around 1.20pm where they found a three-year-old girl unconscious. The girl was taken to Palmerston North Hospital in a critical condition.
At the house were one adult male and four children under the age of 10. The girl's name is not being released at this stage and neither is her connection with the other people at the house. The girl's family is by her bedside.
Although it is suspected that the girl had suffered head injuries the exact cause of those injuries is still to be established and that may take some time.
Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan who is heading the investigation said: "As a matter of course we have taken control of the house to carry out a scene examination to help us establish how the girl was injured. It is too early in the investigation to speculate on how the girl received her injuries and it would be unhelpful to jump to conclusions.
"What we have to bear in mind is that the majority of people in the house at the time were young children. We will need to talk to these children in detail and will require experts to help us do this, so it is a very sensitive situation that may take some days if not weeks to bring to a conclusion.
"We will also be working closely with medical professionals and providing support to family members. We are receiving full co-operation from everyone affected by these events."
Media enquiries should be referred to Communications Manager Kim Perks on 06 351 2546 or 027 234 8256.