A 2-year-old boy who suffered broken bones left untreated for up to a month was yesterday happily playing with his caregivers - the same day his parents were committed to stand trial on charges of wilful neglect.
West Auckland couple Rosie Felise, 31, and Melagi Vela, 28, deny
wilfully neglecting their then 18-month-old child but a depositions hearing at the Waitakere District Court found a prima facie case had been established against them.
The child - who cannot be named for legal reasons - was admitted to hospital in July with injuries that included a broken left thighbone and a fractured arm. Doctors said the injuries were up to a month old and had occurred on separate occasions.
The boy was discharged from hospital into CYF care.
The court yesterday heard from the paediatrician who examined the child when he was brought to hospital. Dr Patrick Kelly found the child weighed 11kg, appeared skinny and was in "obvious discomfort" when he gently rotated the boy's thigh.
Dr Kelly said he believed the cause of the injuries was environmental, not genetic.
Lene Molia, the pastor of Ms Felise and Mr Vela's church, told the court he visited theirWest Auckland home about July 21 this year because the family hadn't been to church recently. He found the child lying on the couch looking "tired and sick".
Asked what he did after seeing the child on the couch, the pastor said he gave the family $10 for the children and left shortly afterwards.
Iuni Sapolu, who represented Mr Vela, said neither defendant considered there was a case to answer.
