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- The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) has received two complaints against police in relation to the death of Zahquiel Taipeti��

- Hamilton police are urging residents to keep an eye out for white clothing left on their properties��

- The boy’s family alleges if police had followed procedure the boy ‘would be alive and playing with his cousins’��

Family members of the 8-year-old killed in Hamilton on Sunday have filed a complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA).��

They claim that if proper procedure had been followed,��Zahquiel Taipeti��would still be alive.��

A copy of the complaint, provided to the��Herald,��claims police delivered the alleged killer straight to Taipeti and his family’s door on the��day of the alleged murder.��

“Police made no attempt to verify with those at the address that it was [the murder-accused’s] home address, that he had any entitlement to be there, nor to explain why he was being taken there,” the complaint said.��

The complaint continued: “Three people were [then] seriously assaulted, one, an 8-year-old child, so seriously injured that he died in the following hours.��

“If police had followed proper procedure, the assault would never have happened and the boy would be alive and playing with his cousins,” it alleged.��

It is one of two complaints received by the IPCA relating to Zahquiel’s alleged murder.��

• Alleged child murderer was trespassed from Hamilton motel before death of 8yo
• Hamilton child homicide: Residents urged to keep an eye out for ‘white clothing’ on their properties
• Hamilton child homicide: Boy allegedly attacked with hammer as he slept

“We have received two complaints,” confirmed IPCA resolutions manager Cath Anyan.��

“We are currently considering the matter.”��

In addition, the matter was also referred to the IPCA by police themselves on September 3.��

Eight-year-old Zahquiel Taipeti is alleged to have been sleeping in the same room as his father when they were attacked.��

According to the IPCA’s website, the authority first reads complaints to identify whether they could meet the threshold for misconduct.��

“For matters that could be misconduct we will find the relevant police records,” the website said.��

“We then assess the information and decide whether we need more information.��

The volume of complaints to the IPCA means it can take two to four months for a decision to be made.��

Zahquiel Taipeti’s family’s complaint against police included questions about police processes throughout that afternoon.��

Police responded to��Herald��enquiries with a statement.��

“With the matter before the courts, as well as with the IPCA, police are unable to provide any of the additional details requested.”��

Police undertaking enquiries in the Bader area after the killing of 8-year-old Zahquiel Taipeti. Photo / Maryana Garcia��

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Allegedly attacked with a hammer as he slept��

The man allegedly attacked Zahquiel and his father with a hammer as they slept in bed.��

The man is alleged to have then murdered the child and seriously injured two others, including Zahquiel’s father, Mitikiro Woods, as they slept.��

Zahquiel is alleged to have been sleeping in the same room as his father when they were attacked.��

A third victim was then allegedly attacked in an adjacent room.��

The��Herald��understands Zahquiel and his father had recently returned to Hamilton from two family tangi.��

Police undertaking their enquiries in the Bader area following the killing of 8-year-old Zahquiel Taipeti. Photo / Maryana Garcia��

It has been alleged the defendant and the third victim had a tussle over the alleged murder weapon after the attacks.��

The��37-year-old murder accused appeared briefly in the Hamilton District Court��on Tuesday.��

His name is suppressed and he did not enter a plea to the charge of murder.��

He was remanded to appear in the High Court in Hamilton on September 17.��

‘Rest in eternal love’ – family��

Zahquiel’s tangi was held in Whakatāne on Friday.��

Since the family’s announcement of Zahquiel’s death, friends and relatives have posted tributes online in his honour.��

“You didn’t deserve this Zah. Fly home to the arms of your mum,” one online tribute said.��

Another family member wrote: “Rest in eternal love little cousin. Give mummy big hugs and loves from all of us.”��

Zahquiel Taipete, 8, died after an attack in Hamilton. His father and another man were also injured.��

“Go rock the heavens with your old lady, my boy,” posted another.��

In a post to Facebook, the family said they planned to bring Zahquiel back “home” to Whakatāne.��

Residents urged to keep an eye out for discarded white clothes��

Hamilton police are urging Bader residents to not throw away clothing found on their property – in particular anything white that doesn’t belong to them – as they probe the alleged��murder of the young boy.��

In particular, residents of Pine Ave, Anthony Cres and Ansford Place are asked to urgently contact police if they find any white clothing on their properties.��

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.��