Abusive father loses appeal

An Auckland man has lost his appeal against conviction for assaulting and injuring his six children and attempting to rape one of them.

The Court of Appeal in a decision released today found that none of the four grounds of appeal entered by the man, whose name is suppressed to protect the identity of the children, succeeded and the 22 convictions stood.

The man used various weapons, including a vacuum cleaner pipe, a cricket bat, machete, a belt and a hose to assault his children between May 2001 and August 2006, his trial at Auckland District Court was told.

He indecently touched and then attempted to rape his eldest daughter while his wife was in Samoa at Christmas 2005.

The sexual abuse surfaced in August 2006 when one of the other children told a teacher at his school.

Child Youth and Family was informed and removed all the children from the family home.

The man was jailed for nine years.

- NZPA