Judge warns Nia's stepdad

By KELLY MAKIHA

A fifth Rotorua person charged with assaulting 3-year-old Nia Glassie has been told he will be arrested if he breaks strict bail conditions.
Nia died on August 3 after almost two weeks in a coma at Auckland's Starship hospital. Five members of her extended family have been charged with assaulting her.
Nia's stepfather, Wiremu Te Aroha Te Whanau Curtis, 17, will appear in the Rotorua District Court tomorrow for the first time.
He appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday and was remanded on bail until tomorrow.
He was told by Judge Lex de Jong the bail conditions were strict for many reasons and if Curtis did not adhere to them he was likely to be arrested and held in custody until his trial.
Curtis was granted bail by the Auckland District Court after his first court appearance despite the four others charged being denied bail by Rotorua District Court judges.
Rotorua police Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper said they were considering opposing bail when he appeared in Rotorua tomorrow.
"It's going to make it a hell of a lot harder to get it [remand in custody] since he's been out [on bail]."
Curtis, the partner of Nia's 34-year-old mother Lisa Kuka, is jointly charged with abusing Nia over a three-day period at the end of July with three others.
Two others charged with abusing Nia will also appear in court tomorrow. Oriwa Kemp, 17, will again try for bail after Judge Chris McGuire turned down her application last Wednesday.
Michael Curtis, Wiremu's brother, is to apply for bail tomorrow for the first time.
The fourth person charged is Michael Paul Pearson, 19, who is remanded in custody to reappear on September 27 for a pre-depositions hearing.
The Curtis brothers' father, William Curtis, 47, who faces different charges of abusing Nia over a four-month period earlier this year is also in custody until the pre-depositions hearing.
The court was told yesterday that further charges were pending but Mr Loper said no changes to the charges would be made until after the results of the post mortem were known, which would not be until at least next week.
Meanwhile, Plunket in Tokoroa has organised a peaceful march against child abuse on Saturday.
Organiser and Plunket committee president Karen Foster said it would start at 11am from Plunket on Bridge St and finish at the Youth Park.
Mrs Foster said the aim of the march was to show locals that Plunket was there to support families.
Taupo and Rotorua MPs Mark Burton and Steve Chadwick are expected to join the march.