Couple accused of giving girl a rifle

File photo / NZ Herald

A Masterton couple accused of giving a 9-year-old girl a gun and telling her to shoot her mother's partner have been remanded on bail.

The girl's mother, 26, and her partner, 27, who both have name suppression, entered no plea when they appeared in Masterton District Court this morning.

They are to reappear on June 28.

The couple are accused of giving a rifle to the girl after she approached her mother claiming the man indecently assaulted her on February 5.

The claim was not believed by the mother.

Instead, the couple allegedly gave the girl a rifle and told her that if she was telling the truth then she should shoot the man.

They have been charged with wilful ill-treatment of a child and unlawful possession of a firearm. The man also faces an additional charge of indecent assault of a female under the age of 12.

Both have been bailed to their home address and ordered not to contact the girl.