A paediatrician who treated a girl injured during an attempted exorcism has told a court her eyes were completely shut when she saw her in hospital.
Janet Moses, 22, died during the attempted exorcism in October 2007. Nine people are before the High Court in Wellington charged with her manslaughter.
Two people are charged with allowing the ill-treatment of a child.
Priscilla Campbell Stokes told the court on Friday the girl's father told her the family thought a Maori curse had come through the child's eyes and she had been injured when they tried to deal with that.
Dr Campbell Stokes was told the child's relatives had gouged her eyes and poured water into her eyes and mouth to rid her of the curse, or makutu.
She was told that the child had not previously suffered any medical conditions.
Earlier, the mother of Janet Moses told the court it was not the first time a member of her family had been struck by a curse.
Olivia Rawiri said when she was young, a makutu had befallen her older brother but her mother had been able to rid him of it.
Ms Rawiri told defence lawyer Letizia Ord that she believed her family would be able to do the same for her daughter.
Under re-examination, Mr Rawiri said she did not know whether her family did anything dangerous to Ms Moses.