KEY POINTS:
A large contingent of iwi from Rotorua and Tauranga joined the Cook Islands family of Nia Glassie beside the 3-year-old's coffin yesterday.
As Nia's body lay draped in a traditional cloak, her father, Glassie Glassie jnr, addressed a crowd of about 200 who had gathered at a Tokoroa community centre for the first full day of farewells for the toddler.
Mr Glassie jnr reportedly thanked the crowd as other members of Nia's family, including her mother Lisa Kuka, huddled around the coffin.
Maori Party leader Pita Sharples was also present at the gathering at the St Lukes Pacific Islands Community Centre.
Nia's funeral is expected to be held on Thursday at a nearby marae, although details are still being settled.
Her grandparents, Glassie Glassie snr and Celine Glassie, live in Tokoroa, and Mr Glassie snr told the Herald he now wanted Nia to "rest in peace".
He earlier said he was confident his grand-daughter would recover.
About 100 people from Rotorua's Te Arawa iwi and Tauranga Moana tribes travelled to Tokoroa to pay their respects to the little girl, who died on Friday after almost two weeks in a coma at Auckland's Starship hospital.
She was allegedly subjected to months of abuse, ending in her being hung on a clothesline and spun in a tumble dryer.
Three of the five accused of inflicting the abuse are from the Curtis family of Te Arawa, while her mother's family is from Tauranga.
Some Maori journalists were allowed into yesterday's gathering, but other members of the media were barred from entering.
Signs were placed on the hall doors asking journalists to respect the family's wish for no coverage and most family members declined to comment on the proceedings inside.
But Te Arawa elder Wikeepa Te Rangipuawhe Maika said about 100 people from his iwi and Tauranga Moana had been received by Nia's Cook Islands family in Tokoroa.
He said the mood in the hall was "one of sadness" and foremost in everyone's minds was the need to stop such abuse happening again.
"The most important message is that we will live with this shame," he said.
"We must strive forward and look at what we can do to prevent this sort of thing happening."
Mr Maika said Nia's father, who returned from Australia when she was admitted to hospital, had addressed the crowd.
"He just thanked the people for coming. It's lifted a load off him."
Mr Maika said Mr Glassie jnr was not crying but was very emotional.
"You could feel it in the way he was speaking. You could feel the sadness."
The Herald approached Mr Glassie jnr and although he said he was not up to talking publicly, he nodded when asked if he now planned to stay in Tokoroa.
He would not comment further and members of Ms Kuka's family would not comment when approached.
Inside the hall, she reportedly sat by her daughter's casket, which was open and placed against a wall on the hall's first floor.
Mr Maika said Nia's body had been draped in a traditional cloak "to give her warmth".
Police are yet to lay further charges against the five accused.
