ratito921
08-05-2007, 11:32 AM
This makes me so mad and so sad all at the same time. How can someone do this to a child?
The mother of the three-year-old subjected to weeks of abuse allegedly told doctors the injuries were a result of her daughter falling off her partner's shoulders.
More details are starting to emerge about the terrifying ordeal which almost cost Rotorua toddler Nia Marie Glassie her life last week - including allegations she suffered burns to her head and feet after being put in the fireplace. Five people have already been charged.
Last night police would not comment about what Lisa Michelle Kuka had told doctors when she first arrived at Rotorua Hospital with Nia, who that morning had been suffering from convulsions.
The girl - who last night remained in Auckland's Starship Hospital in a drug-induced coma - was also allegedly dropped into an ice-cold bath before spending up to 30 minutes being spun around in a tumble dryer.
There were reports of her being left screaming on the roof of her Frank St house, being spun on a clothes line until she flew off - and being used by her abusers to practise wrestling moves on.
It is also understood Nia was made to run around the house naked and was left outside for more than an hour at a time in freezing temperatures.
The injuries were allegedly inflicted between March and July, but intensified in the three days before treatment was sought a week ago, around the time of a 21st birthday party to which police were called. According to neighbours, the party had erupted into fights, swearing and cars speeding along the street.
Nia's injuries were initially thought to be life-threatening, but police said although she was still critically ill, it was no longer thought she would die although she may have permanent brain damage.
Police will this week extend the investigation to other family members and staff from a kohanga Nia was attending.
Comparisons are being drawn between this case and that of Wairarapa toddler Hinewaoriki Karaitiana-Matiaha, better known as Lillybing, who died seven years ago after being severely ill-treated.
Today the Herald on Sunday can reveal that Nia's mother, 34-year-old Te Puke kiwifruit worker Kuka, took her daughter to Rotorua Hospital on Sunday morning saying the serious head and abdominal injuries were not a result of the girl being repeatedly assaulted, but rather a case of her falling off her 17-year-old partner's shoulders.
Kuka was away from the house during the day, working as a kiwifruit picker in Te Puke.
She has not been charged by police, who are still investigating.
The partner, Wiremu Te Aroha Te Whanau Curtis, has been charged with assault and bailed to an Auckland address. He did not want to comment about the case on Friday.
Wiremu's brother, 21-year-old Michael David Curtis, Michael's partner 17-year-old Oriwa Terrina Reta Kemp and 19-year-old Michael Paul Pearson have also been charged with assault and have been remanded in custody. They will seek bail tomorrow.
On Friday, Wiremu Curtis' father, 47-year-old Rotorua driver William Curtis, was also charged with assault on a child and injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. It is alleged those injuries were inflicted at another address.
He was remanded in custody to reappear tomorrow.
Kuka has been granted supervised access to Nia and is with her daughter at Starship. Her two other children, a 10-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl, have been taken into Child Youth and Family custody and put into the care of an unnamed family member.
Nia's paternal grandfather, Glassie Glassie snr, said what had happened to their granddaughter was "disgusting".
He said Nia's father, Glassie Glassie jnr, a demolition worker, was planning to return from New South Wales to be with his daughter.
Kuka and Glassie jnr met 11 years ago in Waihi. He is the father of the two other children now in CYF custody.
Glassie snr told the Herald on Sunday he had had little contact with his granddaughter since she moved from Tokoroa to Rotorua last year.
"In my heart right now I just want my grandchild to pull through, she is a young child. Baby is cute, I look at her and think what a little nice granddaughter I have. She has a big smile," he said.
"I told my son about what happened and he was angry.
"I have been watching this on the news and reading it in the paper. I don't know why [this has happened].
"She doesn't deserve to be treated like that."
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and another article
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4151898a10.html
The Rotorua three-year-old who suffered horrific injuries in abuse allegedly carried out by those who cared for her has died.
Nia Glassie died this afternoon, at 4.12pm, at Starship children's hospital in Auckland.
She had spent most of this week on a ventilator in a coma, after allegedly suffering months of horrific abuse.
Rotorua coroner Wallace Bain revealed that Nia had died.
Police said there would be a post mortem examination of Nia's body in Auckland tomorrow.
"Police investigations into the injuries sustained by Nia are continuing.
"Police will await the results of the post mortem examination before considering the next steps in this inquiry," said Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper in a statement today.
It is alleged the girl suffered abuse including being spun on a clothesline and put in a dryer.
Nia's maternal grandmother Polly Kuku from the Rotorua suburb of Koutu told TV One's Close Up she was surprised her granddaughter died.
"I thought she might pull through to be honest."
Nia was a lovely little girl, Ms Kuku said.
"She asked for nothing."
She said Nia was at peace.
Mrs Kuku said she had offered her daughter love, but because she also held her responsible for Nia's injuries, she would not comfort her.
"Surely there were some signs of something she could have seen and told us about, but she never said anything."
The case has sparked a national outcry about the level of child abuse within New Zealand.
Four people had appeared in court facing charges of assaulting Nia.
William Curtis, 47, has been charged with assaulting the child over a fourth month period, between March 1 and July 1.
He also faces a charge that he injured Nia with intent to cause grevious bodily harm.
His son Micheal William Curtis, 21, and nephew Michael Paul Pearson, 19, face a joint charge along with Oriwa Terrina Kemp, 17, of assaulting Nia between July 18 and July 20.
Kemp is Michael Curtis' girlfriend.
None of the four had entered a plea.
They are due to reappear in court on Wednesday for a bail hearing.
A fifth person, Wiremu Curtis, 17, the partner of Nia's 34-year-old mother, is due to appear in court on Monday.
The mother of the three-year-old subjected to weeks of abuse allegedly told doctors the injuries were a result of her daughter falling off her partner's shoulders.
More details are starting to emerge about the terrifying ordeal which almost cost Rotorua toddler Nia Marie Glassie her life last week - including allegations she suffered burns to her head and feet after being put in the fireplace. Five people have already been charged.
Last night police would not comment about what Lisa Michelle Kuka had told doctors when she first arrived at Rotorua Hospital with Nia, who that morning had been suffering from convulsions.
The girl - who last night remained in Auckland's Starship Hospital in a drug-induced coma - was also allegedly dropped into an ice-cold bath before spending up to 30 minutes being spun around in a tumble dryer.
There were reports of her being left screaming on the roof of her Frank St house, being spun on a clothes line until she flew off - and being used by her abusers to practise wrestling moves on.
It is also understood Nia was made to run around the house naked and was left outside for more than an hour at a time in freezing temperatures.
The injuries were allegedly inflicted between March and July, but intensified in the three days before treatment was sought a week ago, around the time of a 21st birthday party to which police were called. According to neighbours, the party had erupted into fights, swearing and cars speeding along the street.
Nia's injuries were initially thought to be life-threatening, but police said although she was still critically ill, it was no longer thought she would die although she may have permanent brain damage.
Police will this week extend the investigation to other family members and staff from a kohanga Nia was attending.
Comparisons are being drawn between this case and that of Wairarapa toddler Hinewaoriki Karaitiana-Matiaha, better known as Lillybing, who died seven years ago after being severely ill-treated.
Today the Herald on Sunday can reveal that Nia's mother, 34-year-old Te Puke kiwifruit worker Kuka, took her daughter to Rotorua Hospital on Sunday morning saying the serious head and abdominal injuries were not a result of the girl being repeatedly assaulted, but rather a case of her falling off her 17-year-old partner's shoulders.
Kuka was away from the house during the day, working as a kiwifruit picker in Te Puke.
She has not been charged by police, who are still investigating.
The partner, Wiremu Te Aroha Te Whanau Curtis, has been charged with assault and bailed to an Auckland address. He did not want to comment about the case on Friday.
Wiremu's brother, 21-year-old Michael David Curtis, Michael's partner 17-year-old Oriwa Terrina Reta Kemp and 19-year-old Michael Paul Pearson have also been charged with assault and have been remanded in custody. They will seek bail tomorrow.
On Friday, Wiremu Curtis' father, 47-year-old Rotorua driver William Curtis, was also charged with assault on a child and injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. It is alleged those injuries were inflicted at another address.
He was remanded in custody to reappear tomorrow.
Kuka has been granted supervised access to Nia and is with her daughter at Starship. Her two other children, a 10-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl, have been taken into Child Youth and Family custody and put into the care of an unnamed family member.
Nia's paternal grandfather, Glassie Glassie snr, said what had happened to their granddaughter was "disgusting".
He said Nia's father, Glassie Glassie jnr, a demolition worker, was planning to return from New South Wales to be with his daughter.
Kuka and Glassie jnr met 11 years ago in Waihi. He is the father of the two other children now in CYF custody.
Glassie snr told the Herald on Sunday he had had little contact with his granddaughter since she moved from Tokoroa to Rotorua last year.
"In my heart right now I just want my grandchild to pull through, she is a young child. Baby is cute, I look at her and think what a little nice granddaughter I have. She has a big smile," he said.
"I told my son about what happened and he was angry.
"I have been watching this on the news and reading it in the paper. I don't know why [this has happened].
"She doesn't deserve to be treated like that."
~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~
and another article
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4151898a10.html
The Rotorua three-year-old who suffered horrific injuries in abuse allegedly carried out by those who cared for her has died.
Nia Glassie died this afternoon, at 4.12pm, at Starship children's hospital in Auckland.
She had spent most of this week on a ventilator in a coma, after allegedly suffering months of horrific abuse.
Rotorua coroner Wallace Bain revealed that Nia had died.
Police said there would be a post mortem examination of Nia's body in Auckland tomorrow.
"Police investigations into the injuries sustained by Nia are continuing.
"Police will await the results of the post mortem examination before considering the next steps in this inquiry," said Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper in a statement today.
It is alleged the girl suffered abuse including being spun on a clothesline and put in a dryer.
Nia's maternal grandmother Polly Kuku from the Rotorua suburb of Koutu told TV One's Close Up she was surprised her granddaughter died.
"I thought she might pull through to be honest."
Nia was a lovely little girl, Ms Kuku said.
"She asked for nothing."
She said Nia was at peace.
Mrs Kuku said she had offered her daughter love, but because she also held her responsible for Nia's injuries, she would not comfort her.
"Surely there were some signs of something she could have seen and told us about, but she never said anything."
The case has sparked a national outcry about the level of child abuse within New Zealand.
Four people had appeared in court facing charges of assaulting Nia.
William Curtis, 47, has been charged with assaulting the child over a fourth month period, between March 1 and July 1.
He also faces a charge that he injured Nia with intent to cause grevious bodily harm.
His son Micheal William Curtis, 21, and nephew Michael Paul Pearson, 19, face a joint charge along with Oriwa Terrina Kemp, 17, of assaulting Nia between July 18 and July 20.
Kemp is Michael Curtis' girlfriend.
None of the four had entered a plea.
They are due to reappear in court on Wednesday for a bail hearing.
A fifth person, Wiremu Curtis, 17, the partner of Nia's 34-year-old mother, is due to appear in court on Monday.