Nia Maria Glassie

Tortured and murdered by mother Lisa Michelle Kuka, stepfather Wiremu Te Aroha Te Whanau Curtis; his brother Michael David Curtis and his partner Oriwa Terrina Reta Kemp; Nia's cousin Michael Paul Pearson, and William Warena Curtis. The radio at 13d Frank Street at Koutu in Rotorua was turned up loud so the neighbours wouldn't hear the screams and cries of three-year-old Nia Maria Glassie. Her death remains one of the most horrific and high-profile child murders in Aotearoa New Zealand. Nia was malnourished and had suffered months of persistent and violent abuse at the hands of several adults. For the main perpetrators, Wiremu and Michael Curtis, abusing Nia was a way to entertain themselves while Lisa worked as a kiwifruit picker in Te Puke. Nia had been dropped into an ice-cold bath then put in a clothes dryer spinning for 30 minutes on a hot setting, hung on a clothesline and spun around until she flew off, held over a burning fire, used to practice wrestling moves, folded into a couch and sat upon, shoved into piles of rubbish and cold baths, dragged half naked through a sandpit, thrown at walls and dropped from heights, and had various objects hurled at her. She was also kicked, slapped, beaten, jumped on and left outside naked in freezing temperatures. On Michael Curtis' 21st birthday in July 2007, Nia suffered repeated kicks to the head. Lisa found Nia had wet her bed, and despite her being unresponsive, bathed her. She then spent the night partying with the other adults. The following day, Sunday 22 July, Lisa finally took Nia to Rotorua Hospital as she was suffering convulsions. Nia was flown to Auckland's Starship Hospital with critical head injuries. She was put on life support but died 13 days later on 3 August 2007. If her brain injury hadn't been left untreated for 36 hours, doctors say she would likely have survived. A jury found the Curtis brothers guilty of Nia's murder. Lisa was convicted of two counts of manslaughter - one for failing to provide Nia the necessaries of life and the other for failing to protect the child from violence, thereby causing her death. Pearson and Kemp were found not guilty of manslaughter but convicted of assaulting the little girl. William Curtis, father of the Curtis brothers, was charged with assault on a child and injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He is said to have wrapped a scarf twice around the 3-year-old's neck, then lifted her off the ground and strangled her with it until she was purple, as well as slapping her and pushing her over or into a wall. A neighbour had seen Nia being swung on the clothesline, but failed to take any action, nor when she had been placed on the roof of the house and was seen screaming. Nia's battered and broken body was laid to rest in Tokoroa Cemetery. Source: https://debbiemccauleyauthor.wordpress.com/biographies/new-zealand-....

August 2017: Nia Maria Glassie from Rotorua was 3 when she died from head injuries. In the days before her death she was kicked, beaten, slapped, jumped on, put inside a drier spinning at a high temperature, spun on an outdoor clothes line until she fell off, dropped, thrown against a wall and used by adults to practice wrestling moves. Nia's mother Lisa Kuka was convicted of manslaughter, and her boyfriend Wiremu Curtis and his brother Michael were found guilty of murder. Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/61-little-names-on-new-zealands-roll-...

Sources

1. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/nia-glassies-five-days-of-hell/53MBTA...
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3. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/61-little-names-on-new-zealands-roll-...
4. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/tots-injuries-due-to-a-fall-says-moth...
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