KEY POINTS:
A Hawera man has been charged with sexually violating his infant child with an object and causing grievous bodily harm.
Detective Paul Davison of Hawera CIB said the 34-year-old was arrested on March 15 in relation to assaulting both the infant and his partner, the child's mother.
He appeared in Hawera District Court the following day and was remanded in custody.
At a second court appearance this week the man was also charged with sexually violating the infant.
Mr Davison said the matter was "very serious" due to the nature of the allegations, the extremely young age of the victim and the injuries sustained.
"It is extremely traumatic for the mother of the infant, the hospital staff who attended to the infant's injuries and all agencies involved with this investigation," he said.
The infant's condition was originally described serious but stable, but is now improving.
The man is yet to enter any pleas and is due to reappear in court on April 11.
- NZPA
