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Serenity Scott-Dinnington died in Starship Hospital, aged six months. - Source: Supplied -
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A neighbour who spoke out about the alleged abuse of 6-month-old baby Serenity has been threatened.
Serenity Scott Dinnington died of a traumatic brain injury at the end of April in Ngaruawahia.
Police say the death was violent and non-accidental, but no one has been held accountable.
The neighbour who spoke out over the death has been threatened on a number of occasions and had her house tagged.
Cherie doesn't want her surname revealed, but she lives next door to where Serenity lived before she died.
Serenity lived with her mother Chelsea Scott, her fiance Matthew Ellery, and Chelsea's brother.
Cherie told ONE News speaking openly about the case has come at a cost.
First she was called a nark, and now the word "bash" has been engraved on her house.
She has also been subject to random late night visitors, and verbal abuse.
"I have had some negative kickbacks and negative ramifications as you'd call it. So not astoundingly wonderful but most of [the response] has been positive."
The late night visits and tagging have been reported to the police, but Cherie refuses to give up her crusade to get the case solved.
"I've basically just had to go with it really. This campaign in this case is for all children who've died in this way."
Police in Ngaruawahia have now committed 12 full-time staff to the investigation in the hope of a breakthrough.
And while they are still awaiting forensic test results they say they are also looking into new information that's come to them from members of the public.
In the small town the case still casts a shadow.
A number of locals spoken to by ONE News told of the frustration as the case drags on, but also astonishment that there hasn't been an arrest yet.
"Just the frustration. The longer and longer it carries on and just the pure frustration of the people," said one.
Serenity's family has since moved from Ngaruawahia while police continue to investigate the death.
They have repeated the plea for anyone with information to come forward.
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