A Tongan mother-of-four was tragically murdered by her estranged partner, prompting a coroner’s call for a unified government approach to address New Zealand’s domestic violence crisis.
In March 2021, Toakase Finau, 29, was strangled to death by Viliami Latu, her former husband, while he was on electronically monitored bail for prior assaults against her. Latu later died by suicide, leaving a note directing authorities to Finau’s body, hidden in her car’s boot.
Coroner Alison Mills ruled the deaths a “tragic example” of systemic failures. “Police, the justice system, the Department of Corrections, Oranga Tamariki, housing and health providers all interacted with this whānau and had concerns about family harm yet failed to prevent these tragic deaths,” she said.
Finau, a devoted mother and member of South Auckland’s Tongan community, endured years of abuse. Despite a permanent protection order issued 13 days before her death, Latu repeatedly breached safety orders and conditions.
“She endured years of psychological, financial, and physical abuse,” Mills noted. “Toakase was the victim and lived under Viliami’s coercive control for many years. The responsibility for her death rests solely with him.”
The couple’s relationship had been turbulent since their 2011 marriage, with Finau making multiple attempts to escape. Social agencies documented her high risk of harm but failed to intervene effectively.
Mills called for a “whole of government approach” to combat New Zealand’s high rates of intimate partner violence, urging better support for victims and systemic reform.
“There are no easy fixes,” Mills concluded. “This epidemic demands urgent and unified action.”