ILL-TREATMENT OF CHILD

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29367, 21 November 1960, Page 21

ILL-TREATMENT OF CHILD

Young Mother Convicted (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, Nov. 19. A young unmarried mother, who told a child welfare officer that she hated her 24-year-old son and was glad to get rid of him, appeared before Nir A. A. Coates, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Auckland on a charge of wilfully ill-treating the child so as to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to his health. Roberta Irene Taumata, aged 20, single, pleaded guilty to the •charge. The police prosecutor said that on the afternoon of August 3 a child welfare officer visited the Taumata home at Richmond road, Ponsonby. In a room on a dirty, blood-stained mattress sat a little boy, Taumata’s son, in a filthy state. There were multiple bruises and abrasions on his head and body and one of his ears was covered with sores. The welfare officer took the child away. When Taumata was questioned later she admitted that she had ill-treated the child and said she was glad to get rid of him as she hated him, the Court was told. “The facts show that you have callously and wantonly illtreated your child,” said the Mjagistrate. “You are liable to imprisonment for this charge and for this reason I require a probation officer’s report.” He convicted Taumata and remanded her until November 25 for a report and sentence.