Another reason to vote "yes"

Man beat daughter over church refusal, court told:

A 55-year-old man who beat his daughter over the head with a lump of concrete when she refused to go to his Mormon church "does not understand what all the fuss is about", Hastings District Court has heard.

Uluia Muliipu appeared in court after pleading guilty to one count of assault with intent to injure.

Judge Geoff Rea said on February 22 this year Muliipu had become involved in an argument with his daughter who refused to attend church.

He chased her down the street and back into the house picking up a lump of concrete along the way.

He then whacked her over the head in a bedroom with the concrete causing skin on her head to split and start bleeding.

They were both "covered in blood" and he kicked her in the face causing bruising.

"When police arrived you told them your daughter was lucky you did not kill her," Judge Rea said.

This is what the opponents of the child disciple law are implicitly defending - and it is what we are voting against next month. Two years ago, this unrepentant sadist would have been able to claim a defence of "reasonable force" for his brutality. As a result, the case might never have gone to court. Now he can't do that. And I am very glad of it.