Oranga Tamariki alerted twice before Whangārei mother’s trial for child abuse

The boy's sister said she witnessed her brother being beaten on multiple occasions. Photo / 123RF

WARNING: This article discusses allegations of child abuse and may be upsetting to some readers.

A mother who was flagged twice to Oranga Tamariki for hitting her children is now facing more serious allegations, including strangling her son until he turned purple.

The mother, who has name suppression to protect the identity of the children, is on trial at the Whangārei District Court for 11 charges of violence towards her children – predominantly against her son.

The mother of three was reportedly often alone with the children, all under 12 years old at the time, while the father was working.

Oranga Tamariki was first alerted about the son having a cut on his head in 2018.

She told investigators she had been playing a hitting game with her son and had accidentally hit him too hard on the head with a Milo tin.

The boy told authorities his mother had got angry at him for getting into the Milo and threw the tin at him.

She received a warning from the police on that occasion.

Another report of concern was received weeks later that the same child had been hit across the back after he would not get off the phone and come to dinner.

She received another warning.

For the next four years, the children allegedly suffered various beatings from their mother including hitting, slapping, punching and strangulation.

The beatings were allegedly brought on for instances that included losing a uniform, spray painting a trampoline and fighting with siblings.

On one occasion the son was allegedly strangled until he turned purple and was gasping for breath while his sister watched on.

It is also alleged the boy was picked up by the ears and thrown down the hall causing bruising to his body.

Crown lawyer Danette Cole told the jury the boy guessed he had been strangled at least 25 times and would often hide under his bed until he had to go to school or his father came home.

“He was told if he told anyone, then he would get hit more. When she threatened to kill them, they believed her.”

The offending eventually came to light when one of the daughters told the mother if she did not stop, she would report her.

“When she didn’t listen, she reported her to the school,” Cole said.

Cole said the prior reports of concern to Oranga Tamariki showed the defendant had a propensity to act in this manner.

The jury trial is expected to last a week.

“This shows she has a tendency to assault and then lie about it and downplay. It shows the dynamic between [son] and [mother] that there’s a pattern of behaviour.”

Defence lawyer, Jarred Scott said the propensity evidence does not show his client had a pattern of behaviour and the allegations were made up by the son.

“He’s made up allegations about adults before and [he] has made up these allegations as well,” Scott submitted.

Scott urged the jury to think of the scale of response the child alleged his mother resorted to in the allegations.

“For instance, spray painting the tramp? It’s just a bit of mesh on the tramp. Strangling him to the point he’s turning purple and punching and kicking him – really?”

The trial is expected to last a week before Judge Philip Rzepecky.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.