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A Christchurch toddler suffering life-threatening head injuries in Auckland's Starship Children's Hospital has been taken off life support and there are hopes for her recovery.
The 17-month-old girl has been at Starship for two weeks after allegedly being assaulted at a suburban Hei Hei unit on October 25.
Detective Senior Sergeant John Rae, heading the police investigation, said today that police had reports on her condition from Starship last night.
"She's now off life support and in the neurology ward," Mr Rae said. "Her condition is just being monitored."
He said Starship doctors "obviously have some expectations" that she would recover.
"We don't know whether she's developed any more responses or anything else. Hopefully, she'll get a lot better," Mr Rae said.
A 23-year-old man appeared in Christchurch District Court yesterday charged with assaulting the baby with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
He was remanded on bail for a week and granted temporary name suppression. His lawyer said he would deny the charge.
The man was ordered not to have any contact with the baby's mother as part of his strict bail conditions and not to enter Auckland City Hospital.
Police investigating how the baby received serious head injuries were alerted by clinicians after she was admitted to Christchurch Hospital for urgent surgery to ease pressure on her brain.
Police inquiries were continuing ahead of the accused man's next court appearance on Thursday.
- NZPA