Burned boy 'left untreated for months'

A toddler whose hands were fully immersed in hot water and badly burned was never treated by a doctor, police say.

Officers stumbled across the two-year-old boy while investigating a car crash near his home in Cannons Creek in Porirua, north of Wellington, in August - at least eight months after they believe he suffered the injuries, Detective Senior Sergeant Neil Holden said yesterday.

The boy's 31-year-old mother was arrested by the Wellington district child protection team last month.

She has been charged with cruelty and ill-treatment of a child and wounding with reckless disregard causing grievous bodily harm, Holden said.

The woman denied causing the injuries and claimed they were accidental, APNZ reported.

The boy was taken into Child, Youth and Family care - along with his 3-month-old sibling - and faced extensive surgery to repair the damage to his hands.

The woman, who had name suppression, appeared in Porirua District Court today and was remanded until December.

- © Fairfax NZ News