A Napier woman who had three grandchildren placed in her care has admitted six charges of assault relating to multiple abuses over almost 10 years.
Guilty pleas were made in Napier District Court after the Crown laid the representative charges in place of 15 other charges linked to offences alleged to have been committed between 2007 and 2017.
The children had been placed along with other siblings in the woman's care by Government agency Child Youth and Family, now known as Oranga Tamariki Ministry for Children.
Judge Geoff Rea remanded her on bail for sentencing on October 1.
A summary said the woman - whose name is suppressed to protect the identities of the children - used "physical violence and emotional abuse" as methods of control or punishment, and the children often witnessed each other being assaulted but felt unable to intervene.