Mother accused of cruelty to girl

A Tauranga woman tortured her 14-year-old daughter by putting chilli powder in her eyes, beating her with a wooden spoon and making her sit in ice-cold baths as punishment for bad behaviour, Tauranga District Court was told.

The mother and her son are standing trial on charges of cruelty to a child the family had adopted when she was a toddler.

The 54-year-old unemployed Mt Maunganui woman is facing five charges of cruelty to a child, two of assault on a child under 14, two of assault on a child with intent to injure and two of assault with a weapon.

She pleaded not guilty to all charges when she appeared at the district court on Monday for the start of what is expected to be a four or five-day jury trial.

Her son, a 27-year-old caregiver of Tauranga, has denied one charge of assault with intent to injure and two of assault with a weapon.

Prosecutor Rob Ronayne said the adoptive mother had ill-treated the child for years and none of her treatment had been a reasonable form of discipline.

Giving evidence from behind a screen so she could not see the two accused, the girl said the alleged cruelty started in the first years of her schooling.

She claimed her adoptive mother had made her stay up late practising her handwriting until it met her standards.

The court was told the girl would not be allowed to go to bed or have dinner until it was correct.

The girl said she was made to sit in a bath of cold water if she got into trouble at school or was caught lying. Once she was in the cold water, the woman would allegedly bang the girl's head against the side of the bath, leaving her forehead covered in welts and bruises.

The mother was also alleged to have put chilli powder in the girl's eyes and beat her with a wooden spoon on the soles of her feet, buttocks and calf muscles while she was forced to kneel on all fours.

The girl said on one occasion the mother and son beat her for running away.

Her mother hit her across the arms with a piece of bamboo, and her brother kicked her with sneakers and hit her with a broom, the girl said.

The broom and photographs of alleged bruising to the girl's body were produced as evidence.

The girl was then cross-examined by the accused woman's lawyer Craig Horsley.

He said that, rather than cruelty, the events were a form of discipline for the girl, who had started skipping school, stealing and playing up at home.

Mr Horsley said the allegations were made up to impress a group of school friends who were comparing tales of home life, rather than being an accurate account of her childhood.

The allegations were made up by the girl to try to get in contact with her birth mother who she wanted to find and live with.

The prosecution plans to call 10 witnesses.

- NZPA