One of the girls in care is alleged to have suffered the most abuse and eventually ran away. Photo / 123rf
One of the girls in care is alleged to have suffered the most abuse and eventually ran away. Photo / 123rf
WARNING: This article discusses allegations of child abuse and may be upsetting to some readers.
A young girl in the care of two Oranga Tamariki caregivers has described how children weren’t allowed to jump on the couch and, if they were caught doing so, they would be “hit on theleg”.
The girl was giving evidence at the Whangārei District Court, where the couple are facing 35 charges of violence and cruelty to children, dating from 2012.
As registered caregivers, they had multiple children living with them over the years, and four key witnesses have given evidence about their experiences in the household.
The alleged offending came to light when one of the children, given the false name Sally to protect her identity, ran away, and a friend’s mother alerted police.
An investigation led police to interview other children who had been in the couple’s care at various stages.
Eighteen of the charges relate to Sally, who referred to the accused as Mum and Dad.
She alleges she was hit with a stick, burnt with a lighter, slapped and punched.
In week two of the trial, the jury heard evidence from two other children, also referred to by false names, who lived with the couple during the same period as Sally.
Jane described a pattern of discipline in the household, stating that it was common for children to be struck on the legs with a stick by the man if they jumped on the couch.
“If we jumped on the top at the kids’ lounge, then we got hit on the leg.”
She clarified that, while the woman rarely hit anyone, the man was primarily responsible for the physical punishment.
“It wasn’t just me,” Jane said.
“All the kids ... jumped on the couch, but I did it one time, but then after that I stopped and just started to listen.”
During cross-examination, the man’s lawyer, Chris Muston, suggested that Jane had never been hit by his client.
“He has,” she replied firmly.
Muston then proposed Jane might be confused with other placements she had experienced.
“Only once at the movies. I was pretty sure I saw fear in her face,” she responded.
Under cross-examination by Muston, she was asked why she never reported the allegations.
“I didn’t take any steps because I didn’t want to believe it was true.”
The trial continues on Monday before Judge Greg Davis.
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.
