The father of a 9-year-old west Auckland girl found hiding in a cupboard after months of torture and abuse at the hands of her parents has been sentenced to three years in prison with a minimum non-parole period of two years for his part in her horrific ordeal.
The man, who has name suppression to protect the identity of his daughter and her siblings, appeared in Auckland District Court today for sentencing.
He previously pleaded guilty to assaulting the child.
In December last year, the girl's 31-year-old mother, who also has suppression, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison with a minimum non-parole period of five years.
She is now appealing the minimum non-parole period.
She previously pleaded guilty to 25 charges, including one for assaulting the girl's 8-year-old brother.
Her charges also included assaulting the girl with a machete and a hammer, kicking her in the crotch while wearing steel-capped workboots, tearing off her toenail and pouring salt and boiling water on the wound, and writing abusive words on the girl's body.
The girl was found by police in November last year hiding in a cupboard - reportedly starving, dehydrated and covered in injuries. Soon after, the Herald revealed that Child, Youth and Family removed the girl from her mother's care in 2001 because of concerns of neglect.
She was returned to her parents' care in December 2008 and the physical abuse began soon after.
The girl and her four siblings are now in foster care.
The case caused a storm of controversy when the mother was sentenced, with the head of CYF admitting social workers failed the girl and that the case highlighted the need to improve practices.
Bernadine MacKenzie said there was no doubt her organisation should have done a better job, citing failures by a social workers to visit and monitor the girl, to respond to concerns raised by her school and to work effectively with other agencies involved.
Twenty-five agencies, including CYF, had been involved with the family because of concerns about neglect.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett said the Government had learned lessons and was hopeful the recommendations in a ministerial report by former Ombudsman Mel Smith would improve the country's child abuse record.
