Accused in Nia case conspired to hide truth, say documents

Nia Glassie died from her injuries 12 days after being taken to hospital.

Those charged with causing the death of Rotorua toddler Nia Glassie conspired to hide the truth about abuse they had perpetrated on her, court documents say.

Three-year-old Nia died in Auckland's Starship Hospital on August 3, 12 days after she was taken to Rotorua Hospital with severe injuries alleged to be the result of abuse carried out by people in her home.

The abuse allegedly included her being hung on a clothesline and spun in a tumble dryer.

Nia's mother Lisa Kuka, her partner Wiremu Curtis, Curtis' brother Michael, Michael's girlfriend Oriwa Kemp and Nia's cousin Michael Pearson are awaiting trial for her manslaughter.

The Curtis brothers' father, William, also faces charges stemming from earlier incidents of alleged abuse of the child.

Nia lived with the five charged with her manslaughter at a house in Frank St, and depositions evidence released to the Herald yesterday by the High Court at Rotorua alleges that they conspired to lie to police about her injuries.

In a statement to police, the Curtis brothers' sister Hoana said she was told by those at the Frank St house to keep Nia's injuries a secret.

"We had to keep it on the hush as only that house and me and Willie knew about her," she said.

"Michael Curtis told me to keep it quiet. I didn't ask anyone what happened to her."

Hoana had seen Nia on July 21, the day before she was taken to hospital, and said she was lying in bed having fits and unresponsive.

"It was hard out obvious that something was wrong. Normally, she'd be running around but when I looked for her, there was no Nia."

Hoana asked Michael Curtis if they had taken her to a doctor but he allegedly said they did not want to move her.

Nia's mother allegedly told others that Nia had the flu, but a ward clerk from Starship Hospital said she overheard Kuka on the telephone to a sister in Australia saying, "I know what happened, I saw it".

The clerk, Robyn Armstrong, said Kuka told the sister: "I was there. He put her head between her knees and hit her head three times against the floor. He threw her across the room and she hit the wall. He said because she was ugly and she won't listen."