Expert input sought into toddler case

The case against a mother accused of assaulting a toddler who later died hinges on expert medical opinion, a court has heard.

The 34-year-old woman, who has name suppression, faces one charge of assaulting a 14-month-old girl who was in her foster care.

The girl died of head injuries in Auckland's Starship hospital on January 8.

The woman entered no plea and was remanded on bail when she appeared in the Tauranga District Court yesterday. Police have said further charges are likely.

But the woman's lawyer, Rachael Adams, said significant questions remained about the cause of the girl's injuries.

"The resolution of these issues is only going to be possible on the basis of expert medical opinion," she said.

Ms Adams said an expert's opinion would determine whether the assault charge proceeded, an alternative charge was brought, or charges were dropped altogether.

She asked that her client's next appearance be put off until February 21 to allow time to seek the opinion of a medical expert who was currently on leave.

She said her client was distressed at the wait, but accepted it as necessary.

She also asked that the woman's bail conditions be altered to allow her supervised contact with her children.

Previously, she was granted bail but prohibited from seeing her children.

Police did not oppose the request, and Judge Christopher Harding granted her bail allowing contact with her children in the presence of her husband or mother-in-law.

The judge also accepted a request for continued name suppression, but said the order would expire at the defendant's next appearance without full and formal arguments from her lawyer.

The defendant, dressed in a beige T-shirt and with short blond hair, showed little emotion during the appearance and was escorted to her car by a police officer afterwards.

Police began investigating the alleged assault of the toddler after an ambulance was called to a house in Pongakawa, a rural area near Te Puke, on January 4.

The girl was found with serious head injuries, which Tauranga Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner said at the time were not survivable.

It has since been revealed that the girl's parents are in prison, but were allowed out to be with her when her life support was turned off.

The foster care organisation that placed the girl with the defendant has described the incident as an "absolute tragedy".

The organisation said it had strict application procedures for prospective foster families, including carrying out police, medical and Child, Youth and Family checks.