A woman has appeared in court charged with the assault of a Kaitaia girl, aged two, who died in Starship Hospital on Saturday. Further charges are likely.
The woman, who is 32, made a brief appearance in the Auckland District Court on Monday. She was remanded in custody until 31 August. Interim name suppression was granted and bail was not sought.
The child was taken to Kaitaia Hospital with serious injuries at 4.30am on Saturday, before being transported to Auckland. The death is being treated as a homicide case, with a post mortem held on Monday.
The accused woman sobbed in court, at times struggling to contain herself, mouthing "I love you" to various people.
Outside the court, a family spokesperson said it has been a trying time for everyone involved and they are struggling to understand what happened.