A mother has been discharged without penalty after she admitted charges of abandoning a four-year-old and assaulting one of her children.
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The 34-year-old woman, who has permanent name suppression, went to Wellington and left two of her daughters, aged four and 12-years-old, in a South Island city overnight, Christchurch Court News reports. The city was not named.
An inquiry was conducted and found the 12-year-old daughter spoke of the mother hitting her with a wooden spoon and smacking her.
Judge Jane Farish told the mother in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday the children should not have been left alone, Court News reports.
"It was dangerous for both of them," Judge Farish said.
The court heard the children are now in the care of various people, Court News reports, but the woman is being allowed to have more contact with her younger children.
Newshub.
