4.15pm
An interfering mother-in-law has been criticised by a High Court judge as he sentenced a woman who became so stressed she killed her toddler daughter.
Terangi Metuatini, 21, of Otara, was today sentenced to two years' supervision after admitting to the infanticide of two-year-old Shannen on December 5 last year during a bout of post-natal depression.
An earlier charge of murder was dropped
In the High Court at Auckland today, Justice Harrison said Metuatini, a mother of five, had a happy relationship with her second -youngest child but things changed when her husband's family took the child to the Cook Islands in March 2001.
At the time, Shannen was six months old and was still being breastfed, and Metuatini thought she would get her baby back in two weeks.
However, the child was not returned for a year, and Justice Harrison said he accepted Metuatini felt "wrecked".
When Shannen was eventually brought home from the Cook Islands without warning in March last year, Metuatini felt that her mother-in-law was interfering and there was competition for Shannen's affections.
The relationship with the child was not as happy as it had been.
In May last year Metuatini became pregnant with her fifth child.
Metuatini wanted her mother-in-law to leave but she was afraid she would take Shannen with her back to the Cook Islands.
There had also been physical confrontations with her mother-in-law.
Justice Harrison said three psychiatrists agreed Metuatini was suffering serious depression at the time as the result of childbirth which substantially reduced her responsibility for what she did.
The law recognised that the balance of a woman's mind could be disturbed by the birth of a child, the judge said.
He accepted Metuatini's mother-in-law had caused great distress and he hoped she no longer interfered.
The crown, represented by Richard Marchant, accepted Metuatini's mind was disturbed from the effects of giving birth to her youngest child, aged 10 months at the time of the offence.
He also acknowledged Metuatini was five months pregnant at the time of the offence.
Justice Harrison noted that just before the killing Metuatini had also been on a jury in a stressful trial in Manukau District Court.
Things came to a head in December last year when Justice Harrison said Metuatini "snapped" over Shannen pulling her younger sister's hair.
She hit her so hard on the head that the child fell off her chair, and hit the child again when she refused to get dressed for bed.
The judge said there was no need for punishment as Metuatini had already suffered enough.
Her other children were in a foster home.
Justice Harrison ordered Metuatini to undertake a parenting skills course as well as any psychiatric counselling and treatment that might be recommended.
- NZPA
Judge criticises interfering mum-in-law over killing
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