The Auckland mother accused of systematically abusing her nine-year-old daughter wrote to Prime Minister John Key for help, her lawyer says, but the alleged abuse still slipped between the cracks of 12 different agencies.
The woman, 30, faces 33 assault and neglect charges and the father faces three, after the girl was found in a cupboard, starving and dehydrated when police responded to a domestic dispute at the couple's home in November.
The letter to Mr Key came to light after the Government yesterday ordered an independent inquiry into the way welfare agencies handled the case.
The woman's lawyer Lorraine Smith told NZPA her client sent a letter to the prime minister and approached different agencies about the abuse.
The girl's teacher also wrote to the prime minister about her concerns, saying the girl came to school with black eyes, bruises and infected wounds.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett yesterday said the case was one of the worst cases she had encountered.
The girl suffered "appalling" abuse despite 12 different agencies being involved with the family including Child, Youth and Family, housing, doctors, mental health workers, caregivers and non-government organisations, she said.
Ms Bennett wants to know why they failed to protect the girl and whether they shared information on the case in the right way.
"No one can say things went right, because they've gone horribly wrong," she said.
Ms Bennett said because court action had started she couldn't discuss details or release a report she had received from Child, Youth and Family's chief social worker.
The woman was also charged with assaulting her seven-year-old son by strangling him, dragging him around by the neck, and assaulting him with an unknown object.
Former Ombudsman Mel Smith will lead the inquiry and deliver a report by the end of March.
The lobby group Family First said last night there should be a Royal Commission of Inquiry into family breakdown, family violence and child abuse.
"Why focus on one horrendous case when there have been 26 deaths in the past three-and-a-half years, and many more children abused almost to death," said national director Bob McCoskrie.
"The plethora of so-called `experts' simply aren't solving the problem."
Mr McCoskrie said the fact that the girl's family had been involved with so many agencies was proof that the "bottom of the cliff" approach was also not working.
Yesterday the United Nations also expressed concern over shortfalls in the rights of New Zealand children, including "staggering" infant and child mortality rates and a lack representation for children in legislation.
It has questioned why New Zealand does not have a department or ministry responsible for children's issues.
The UN committee on the rights of the child found that while the majority of children were living well and in a safe and protective environment where their rights were respected, there were areas where improvements were needed, including areas of serious concern.
