Burned boy tells of foster home torture

A 10-year-old boy placed in foster care has told of being smeared with fake chicken blood and forced to eat cow dung before being doused with petrol and set ablaze.

The Otahuhu District Court heard yesterday how "Jay" (not his real name) spent two terrifying days with Josephine Auai Warren near Whitianga last year after being placed in her care by the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Agency.

In a signed statement, Jay said that on October 29 the woman he called "Aunty" threatened to chop off his head with an axe, swung a baseball bat at his head and ordered him to read a biblical statement until it was etched on his heart.

Next day she forced him to cut ragwort and fed him chilli pepper as punishment for failing to read the statement, he said. One of the woman's sons placed a teaspoon of cow dung in his mouth.

Warren later bound Jay's hands and said she was going to tie a dead chicken to his neck and leave him by a river to be eaten by pigs. She smeared his chest with fake blood, but did not carry out her threat.

Jay said that after more abuse he was taken to a washhouse and forced to lick washing powder off the floor. "Aunty" then soaked his skivvy with petrol and set it alight.

"I saw orange flame on my skivvy and I caught fire," Jay said. "I was so scared I started to wet my pants."

Warren yesterday pleaded not guilty to assault, injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and treating a child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering.

Defence lawyer John Dines asked one of Warren's friends, Rowena Kent, how the accused usually dealt with children.

Warren wept quietly as Mrs Kent described her as a "nice person" with a very good attitude to her children who had offered foster care to others.

"I would describe her as a good mother, quite honestly. She was a little bit distressed. I just think things were getting a bit too much."

Mrs Kent was in Warren's house during the alleged burning. She said she heard a scream and could smell burning.

Mrs Kent's husband, Robert, said he had seen Jay dressed as a girl at Warren's home, wearing a lacy top, dress and lipstick. He saw Warren swing a baseball bat at Jay's head, and later told the accused her behaviour was "sick."

Jay spent two weeks in Middlemore Hospital recovering from burns. Paediatrician Dr Michael Watt said up to 19 per cent of his body was burned, including his forehead, face, ears, neck, trunk and wrists.

Mr Dines said his client conceded she had a case to answer. She was remanded on bail to live in Te Aroha until a date is set for a High Court trial.