Murdered toddler's mother tells inquest she trusted boyfriend

Nia Glassie. Photo / Supplied

Murdered Rotorua toddler Nia Glassie's mother has told a coroner's inquest she saw her boyfriend perform wrestling moves on her baby but trusted he would not hurt her.

Lisa Kuka today appeared before a coroner's inquest into the Rotorua 3-year-old's murder in 2007 before Rotorua coroner Wallace Bain in Rotorua.

Kuka, who is serving jail time for manslaughter for not protecting Nia and failing to get medical help for her, read out a statement to the inquiry.

She detailed how she tried to take care of her six children through many house moves. At the time Nia was murdered, Kuka had been working as a supervisor in the kiwifruit industry and was out from early morning to late night.

Nia was in the care of her 17-year-old partner, Wiremu Curtis, and his brother and brother's partner during the day.

She had once seen Curtis perform wrestling moves on her daughters, but loved him and trusted him to take care of her, Kuka said.

During the weekend when Nia sustained her fatal injuries, Kuka had splashed cold water on her child's face but did not get a response.

Kuka put Nia back to bed and the next morning was told by Curtis that Nia had woken up and had breakfast but was tired and went back to sleep.

If she had known anything untoward had been happening to Nia, she would not have let things get to the point where Nia had to die, Kuka said.

Mr Bain told the inquiry its purpose was to answer address four issues, among others:

* What were the household circumstances and how were they created in which Nia faced violence at the hands of close family caregivers?

* What steps could have been taken to keep Nia safe in the neighbouring community and whanau?

* What monitoring or oversight existed in whanau or state agencies to keep Nia safe? If they did exist, why did they fail?

* What cultural or socio-economic factors contributed to Nia's death?