Woman For Trial On Child’s Death

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30540, 8 September 1964, Page 6

Woman For Trial On Child’s Death

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, September 7.

A two-year-old baby girl died after a thrashing she received from her foster mother because she would not eat her meal, the Magistrate’s Court was told today during the taking of depositions.

Jane Aro, aged 27, married woman, of Mangere, charged with the manslaughter of her foster-child, Martha Eliza Tepania, aged 2, was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. She pleaded not guilty. On the application of her counsel, Mr J. B. Sinclair, Mr J. R. Drummond, SJM., refused publication of evidence given by two doctors who had attended the baby on the morning shortly after her death.

Gary Ralph Redshaw, police constable, said when he went to Aro’s home at 11 a.m. on July 12 the baby was dead. “I saw a large bruise, on the chest and abdomen.

There were also bruises on the hands and legs.” When Aro was asked how the child received the bruises, she said: “I did it. I gave her a hiding.” Aro had also said she had used a stick she normally used for getting washing out of the washing machine. She produced a stick that had been broken in two. Aro told him the child would not eat her tea the night before and she had lost her temper. Aro was extremely upset at the time. Bruises Found

Dr. D. A. J. Doyle, pathologist, said he had examined the body of the dead child. “There were numerous bruises scattered over the body trunk and legs," he said. The largest bruise extended from the child’s collar-bone to the navel. Large internal bruises were found under the area of the chest bruising. “In my opinion death was due to multiple internal injuries consistent with injuries received from a beating,” Dr. Doyle said. Detective-Sergeant R. Webb said he had taken a statement from Aro on the day of the child’s death. In this she said the child was the daughter of a cousin. The baby had been known as Kim Aro. On the evening of July 11 Aro said she had been trying to feed Kim, but she wouldn’t swallow the food. She had threatened Kim with a stick but she spat out the food Aro placed in her mouth. ■ “I just hit her several times across the tummy and told her to eat,” Aro’s statement said. “Lost Temper” After three attempts to make the child swallow Aro said she lost her temper. “I hit her where I could. I went on and on.” Later, Aro said she put ointment on the baby’s stomach and put her to bed. On July 12 she found Kim had been vomiting. She took the baby into her husband’s bedroom and. told him something was wrong. “I said it was my fault. I had hit her. Just then Kim stopped breathing,” the statement said. “I have never hit her on the tummy before, I just lost my temper,” she concluded.