KEY POINTS:
The mother of a five-year-old Porirua girl admitted to Wellington Hospital last week with serious head injuries has been charged with mistreating all three of her children.
The woman's lawyer appeared on her behalf in Porirua District Court, where she was charged with assaulting her daughter with a wooden stick and assaulting her six-year-old son.
The woman was also jointly charged with wilfully ill-treating the girl, the boy and their eight-year-old brother in a manner likely to cause bodily harm and injury to health.
The woman, 27, has interim name suppression.
She was remanded on bail until July 10.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Oxnam said yesterday the girl's condition has continued to improve after she had had brain surgery.
She had been moved from the intensive care unit to the children's ward of Wellington Hospital.
The girl and her brothers have been placed in Child, Youth and Family care.
The girl's 20-year-old stepfather appeared in Porirua District Court last Thursday charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in relation to her head injuries.
He was granted name suppression and was remanded in custody. He will next appear in Porirua District Court on July 3.
- NZPA
