"A victim of the system"

The inquest for Nia Glassie is in progress in the Rotorua District Court, and there was some interesting evidence given yesterday. Nia's mother, Lisa Kuka testified that the wrestling moves applied to the three-year-old were just "play-fighting". But this evidence, as reported on Stuff has left us literally speechless, which as anyone who knows us will attest in no mean feat - read on:

Three-year-old Nia Glassie died a horrific death because her mother was a "victim of the system" and was unable to get the support she needed, a coroner's inquest was told yesterday.

A paediatrician called for more resources to be given to supporting children at risk of family violence and to stressed parents.

In Rotorua District Court yesterday, Lake District Health Board paediatrician Johan Moreau gave evidence into the inquest of the cause of Nia's death in August 2007.

Whilst Dr Moreau's call for more resources to be given to supporting children is valid, we couldn't disagree more strongly with the opening comment.

Lisa Kuka was not a "victim of the system". Lisa Kuka and others like her know "the system" inside out, and they exploit it to maximum advantage. To her credit, Lisa Kuka was working, but we will lay odds that others in the home were receiving benefits from "the sytem" to which they may well have not been entitled.

If you can stomach it, read this 2008 Herald story on the Nia Glassie case. There is only one victim in this case; Nia Glassie. She was brutalised by Wiremu Curtis, Michael Curtis, Oriwa Kemp, Michael Pearson and by Lisa Kuka herself. They killed Nia Glassie, not "the system". Let us never forget that.