Malachi Subecz inquest

The story so far

A coronial inquest opened in July 2025 into the 2021 death of a five-year-old boy at Auckland's Starship Hospital, who died after prolonged abuse by his carer.^{14, 15 Jul 2025} The boy was being cared for near Tauranga when he was killed, and a detective gave the court details of his injuries and the homicide investigation.^{14 Jul 2025} A cousin testified that she made ten attempts over three days to alert authorities about the boy's care.^{15 Jul 2025} A daycare manager told the inquest there were no clear signs of abuse, although bruising had been noticed months earlier.^{17 Jul 2025} A paediatrician also criticised how police and Oranga Tamariki handled child abuse cases.^{15 Jul 2025}

Key moments

1. 14 Jul 2025Inquest opens into the 2021 death of five-year-old at Starship Hospital.
2. 14 Jul 2025Hearing begins examining evidence about the boy's injuries.
3. 15 Jul 2025Cousin says she made ten attempts in three days to alert authorities.
4. 15 Jul 2025Paediatrician criticises police and Oranga Tamariki handling of child abuse cases.
5. 17 Jul 2025Daycare manager says no clear signs of abuse despite earlier bruising.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.