Charged men's mother: Nia's mum 'must have known'

Having two children in prison for murder "my worst nightmare".

The mother of two young men charged with the murder of Tokoroa toddler Nia Glassie has spoken out against the child's mother.

Tania says having two of her children in prison charged with murder is "my worst nightmare".

But she says Nia's mother, Lisa Kuka, should be charged because as a mother she must have known what was happening to Nia.

"She's the mother; it's a mother's instinct."

Nia was allegedly hung on a clothesline and put in a clothes dryer before her death.

Tania's sons Michael Curtis, 21, and Wiremu Curtis, 18, had charges of manslaughter upgraded to murder on Thursday.

"My nightmare is literally what has happened, my boys being in prison for such a serious crime. I don't know how any mother can cope with that. OK, I know there are some mothers that have coped with a child in prison for murder but, in my case, I've got two."

Tania says she visited her sons at Waikato's Waikeria Prison about three weeks ago and has received letters and phone calls from them, especially Michael.

The brothers are among five people including their father and Tania's ex-husband, William Curtis, 47, charged with assaulting Nia, 3, who died of severe brain damage after her life support machine was turned off at Starship Hospital in Auckland last month. The pair were remanded in custody at their Rotorua District Court appearance on Thursday.

"They're very young. They've told me a bit about being in there. They got beaten up ... Wiremu was transferred from one unit and the night he got transferred, he got beaten up ... these things happen in there, I don't like it but, hey, it's prison. If I could stop it, I would, but I can't. That's if they did it. Everybody is seeing what's in the paper but everybody is innocent until proven guilty."

However, she is reluctant to comment on how much her sons have told her about what allegedly happened.

"Right now my boys are in s**t stream and I don't want to make it worse."

Instead, her anger is directed at her ex-husband who she says, if the allegations are true, should have known better because he was an adult and Lisa Kuka. Police say it will be at least another fortnight before they decide if any charges will be laid against Kuka.

Tania says she and Kuka spent many hours at Starship Hospital in the last days of Nia's life. "She just said she didn't know nothing. But as a mother you must know something."

Tania says Kuka used her son simply as a babysitter. She is horrified that Kuka has now shifted to Auckland and wants to continue her relationship with Wiremu.

Along with the beatings in prison, Tania's Auckland family has also been abused in the wake of the charges against her sons. Her eldest son, who is 26, was beaten by their neighbours and called a murderer. She has sent her eight-year-old grand-daughter, who lives with her and her new husband, to the South Island to keep her safe.

Asked how to stop the violence, Tania balls up a tissue and says: "I don't know. That's what we have to find out ... God knows, I want it to stop."

- © Fairfax NZ News