Girl admits lying about dad pimping her out

The High Court at Auckland. File photo / Dean Purcell

A tearful 12-year-old girl's interview about a sexual assault arranged by her father for $40 was all lies to get him in trouble, she told a court today.

The girl, who has name suppression, was the first of five children to give evidence at the High Court at Auckland via CCTV from an adjacent room.

She earlier fled from the room while her police interview was being played to the court, and the jury retired until she was found.

During her police interview in September 2007, the girl said she saw her father talking to three men at McDonald's in Manukau. He then forced her to go to the men, who placed her up against a wall in a Farmer's car park and held her there.

She described one man who masturbated against her, while another man held her down and kissed her neck.

"I saw my dad just sitting in his car drinking beer," she said.

She said her father eventually got out of his car and told them to stop. One of them said "she was good", the girl said.

"He told me to get in the car and put my head down and stop crying. He told me not to tell anyone about what happened. My dad was really drunk," she said.

He was paid $40 then spent the cash on cannabis in Otahuhu after his daughter's ordeal was over.

"I don't want to be with him. I'm not safe with him," she said.

But later today during cross-examination by Paul Borich, defending her father, she said the whole incident was not true.

Mr Borich asked the girl if she made up the story because she said during the police interview that she wanted her father to go to jail.

She said she did not know.

Her 37-year-old father and 33-year-old mother, who both have name suppression, are charged with three counts of assault on a child, eight charges of cruelty to a child and one charge of intentional damage to a Housing New Zealand home in Manurewa. They have eight children.

The man is also charged with sexual conduct with his then 12-year-old daughter and injuring her with intent by inflicting repeated blows with a broom. He is also charged with two counts of assault on his children. All charges related to events between January 2005 and September 2007.

The cruelty charges include wilfully ill-treating the eight children in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering, physical and mental abuse, generating a climate of fear, providing unsuitable housing, causing and maintaining poor hygiene and allowing them to go hungry.

The man pleaded guilty to one assault charge, while all other charges are denied.

During her interview in September 2007, the girl spoke about the drinking and drug habits of her mother and father.

"I've seen him snort white stuff from the table about three days every week. Afterwards, he gets `mental as' and beats us up for no reason. Sometimes he tells me to go up between the ceiling and the roof. I've been up there for two days nearly every week this year. I just have to lie down and I'm not allowed to make any noise. I get water but no food. I do a toilet up there too," she said.

But when Mr Borich, defending her father, asked her today about how long she was up there, she said it was not that long.

"It just popped in my head and I said it," she said.

During the interview, the girl said when her father smoked weed he got really nasty.

"He tells us to sleep outside, and wakes us up at 1am to do work.

"It makes me feel angry. He gives us a horrible life. He drinks as well. He throws stuff around the house and throws us around the hallway. Mum drinks and does drugs as well. Me and my sister have to look after the young ones," she said.

"My mum gets really mental. She hits us bad with a stick, broom, rope and cord. Mum gets carried away and starts whipping us for nothing," she said.

The girl added her father also beat up her mother, and the police had been to their house several times.

"The whole street knew but no one wanted to call the police," she said.

A jury of eight men and four women was sworn in on Monday for the trial, which is expected to last two weeks.

Proceeding.

- NZPA