1 Jun 2012

Mother loses appeal over jail term for abuse

3:12 pm on 1 June 2012

A West Auckland woman jailed for seven-and-half years for systematically abusing her daughter has had an appeal against her sentence dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

The woman has name suppression to protect the identity of the child, who was aged nine, and had admitted the charges.

In sentencing, Judge Brooke Gibson said some of her actions amounted to nothing less than torture.

The woman appealed against the sentence on the grounds that it was excessive and failed to take into account the difficult parenting situation she faced.

But the Court of Appeal said the sentence was fully justified.

It said the extended period of abuse showed that it was not a case of a parent just 'snapping'.