The man charged with seriously assaulting Rotorua toddler Nia Glassie in the months leading up to her death still denies the worse of the abuse as he gets set to be released from jail on Monday.
Information released to The Daily Post by the Parole Board shows William Warena Curtis, the father of Nia's killers, Michael and Wiremu Curtis, was denied parole four times and will have served all of his four-year sentence by October 15. He will be released to a Hamilton address.
Nia died in Starship Hospital in August 2007 from head injuries suffered after being kicked in the head by the Curtis brothers.
They were sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 17 years for her murder.
A police investigation discovered Nia, 3, had suffered months of abuse in the lead-up to her death, including two assaults daily from William Curtis when she lived in his one-bedroom James St flat.
Curtis, now 53, was found guilty of eight counts of assault between March and July 2007, including one of assault with a weapon which referred to an incident when he tied a woollen scarf around her neck and dangled her in mid-air until her face turned purple. He also pulled her ears, pushed her on the floor, hit her in the mouth, smacked her for crying, kicked her and threatened to stomp on her head if she didn't stop crying.
During his 2008 trial in the Rotorua District Court, the jury was told Curtis called his daughter, Hoana Curtis, 17, who was giving evidence against him, a "snitch" and threatened to "slit her throat".
She told the court William assaulted Nia at least twice daily with back-hand slaps and randomly pushing her.
Curtis was jailed for four years in February 2009 but, taking into account time in custody before the trial, he would have served his full term by Monday.
Information provided by the Parole Board show he appeared before the board in June 2010, June and November last year and again in April and August this year.
Parole was denied at the first four appearances because "he remains a risk" and, at his last appearance in August, conditions were set for six months on his release from prison on Monday.
Following the June 2011 hearing led by panel convener Judge Watson, Curtis was deemed as posing an "undue risk to the safety of the public" but the board felt it was appropriate his release be staged with a work release component. Also, the release address was not deemed appropriate.
Going before the board again five months later, Curtis was referred to a prison violence prevention programme and referred to a psychologist for counselling with parole denied again because he still posed an undue risk.
In April this year, Curtis sought parole following a whanau (family) hui to find him a suitable place to be released to.
In the decision released by the board, Judge Carolyn Henwood said Curtis was open about his offending and what happened to the "little one" but the conversation indicated he had "a certain amount of denial about his actual involvement in this whole tragedy".
"He has admitted that he hit her and booted her, as he has said on earlier occasions, and that is mentioned in the psychological report, but he does deny some of the more serious charges for which he has been convicted," the report states.
Parole was denied and another family hui was called for to find him a suitable address.
In August, Curtis went before the board led by Judge Peter Butler, when he was told he would remain in jail until his time was served.
The board heard accommodation had been organised in Hamilton with Anglican Action which needed to be confirmed and standard conditions were set down including he attend and complete a domestic violence programme, attend psychological treatment and live at the Anglican centre in Hamilton. He would have a curfew between 10pm-6am at the address unless he had prior written permission from his probation officer and he wasn't to have contact with anyone under 17 unless with an approved adult. He can't make contact with any of his co-offenders, including his two sons, without prior written consent.