The couple charged with abusing their nine-year-old daughter have been declined bail at the Waitakere District Court.
The pair collectively face 36 charges of child abuse and assault.
Judge Lisa Tremean said she refused the woman's bail because of the gravity and serious nature of the allegations, and the man's because he had already breached bail while on a separate charge of serious assault.
The couple earlier won a bid to keep their names suppressed, because the judge said identifying them would easily identify their victim, and the police prosecutor agreed with that.
Both were remanded until their next court appearance on 14 January.
Children in care
Police say the nine-year-old is receiving psychological treatment and will need counselling for the rest of her life. Court documents reveal she was attacked with a machete and a hammer.
Her siblings will also need significant help. All five children have been placed in the care of Child, Youth & Family.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has asked CYF for a report.
Dame Lesley Max, who heads Great Potentials, an agency that works with children and families, says it's not unprecedented that none of the six groups working with the girl's family noticed anything was wrong.
It's not unknown, Dame Lesley told Checkpoint, for social workers to identify more with the parents than with the children in such cases; they may also not come from the same social background.
