Warning: this story refers to child sexual abuse and may be upsetting.

A Northland woman jailed for sexually abusing her 5-year-old daughter - bribing the child with chocolate and lollies to take part in sex with her and her boyfriend - has been released on parole today.

The young victim had no idea her mother was even eligible for parole and only found out on Thursday that the sex offender would be freed from prison.

The child’s guardians are furious at the late notice and feel her rights as a victim have been overlooked in the process.

The woman - who cannot be named - was sentenced to nine years and one month in prison after admitting four charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, and one charge of publication of an intimate visual recording.

She will be released on parole today, having served three years and 11 months behind bars.

Her child was not included in any of the Parole Board’s process and is devastated she did not get a chance to say what she wanted about her offender parent.

Her guardian contacted police recently, curious about when the parole process would begin for the offender.

On June 11 police formally registered the child as a victim so she would receive any notifications from the Parole Board about her mother.

However, it was too late. Parole had been granted after a hearing on June 6.

The child’s guardian was advised of this on June 20.

“We were not told - there was a hearing in February too and we weren’t told about that either,” her guardian said.

“This is massive for us… (the girl) is now 11 and she hasn’t had a voice in any of this.

“She wanted to be heard, she adamantly said she wanted no contact with her mum and we told her that when her parole hearing came up we could write a letter.

“She was also adamant her mum should not move to Whangārei. But she has been ignored in this whole process.

“As a victim, the most important thing is to be heard - and she hasn’t been heard by anyone apart from us.”

The woman photographed her daughter as she sexually violated her and sent images to her then-boyfriend.

The Herald revealed the woman’s offending and sentence in 2020 after following the case through the courts for more than a year.

The repetitive sexual abuse began in October 2017 when her mother was messaging her then-boyfriend, discussing their sexual fantasies.

They spoke specifically about “incestuous sexual relationships” and the woman agreed to sexually abuse her daughter.

She undressed the child, violated her and used her cellphone to photograph what she was doing.

She then sent the image to her boyfriend.

The offending then escalated to the couple violating the child during their own sexual activity.

It continued until April 2018 and the victim was promised chocolate and lollies if she obeyed her mother’s instructions.

At sentencing Judge Duncan Harvey described the offending as “appalling”, “inexplicable” and “ugly”.

“Your daughter... became a sexual plaything for the enjoyment of (the man) and, I suspect, yourself. It is difficult to imagine a more vulnerable victim than a 5-year-old girl being preyed on by her mother,” he said.

Parole after less than four years in prison

The woman, now 39, first appeared before the Parole Board in February this year.

She said she’d completed “treatment” in prison, had created a safety plan and hoped to go and live with her current boyfriend.

The pair met befre she was sentenced. He is not the man who violated the child.

The board said she was not ready for release, that she remained a risk to the community and had further work to do to convince them otherwise.

On June 6 she saw the board again.

The little girl was five when the offending started. Photo / 123RF

A psychologist said her risk of sexual reoffending was low but “certain dynamic factors may increase that risk and require further management”.

“In her case, if sexual recidivism was to occur, it would likely be preceded by an abusive intimate relationship with a man. Low esteem, dependence on her partner and passiveness within that relationship and cognition such as minimisations or justification would also be issues of concern,” the psychologist told the board.

“Highly sexual relationships may also indicate an increased risk within that relationship.”

Board members had concerns around the woman living with her boyfriend as soon as she was released, given her history.

However, the woman’s lawyer persuaded the board the current relationship would be “more protective” than her “struggling to establish herself without the same degree of support”.

The board heard living with family was not an option, due to the presence of children in their homes.

Panel convenor Martha Coleman said on that basis the board would allow her to reside with the boyfriend.

“We are also satisfied that (the offender) has humbled herself and has been honest and transparent with her support network about the details of her offending and has explained to them what support she requires and what her early warning signs are,” Coleman said.

“We further consider that (she) has developed skills to manage her anxiety and lack of confidence and esteem and that she has developed a personal resilience through the treatment and reintegration she has undertaken.

“While this is an area that further work is required, she is not the same vulnerable young woman who allowed herself to be manipulated previously.”

The woman must adhere to a raft of parole conditions including electronic monitoring and not having any contact with her daughter without prior written permission from her probation officer.

She is not allowed any contact with children under 16 - and she is not to “enter or loiter any place” where children under 16 congregate without prior the prior written approval of her probation officer, or unless an adult approved by that probation officer is present.

The woman admitted sexually abusing her daughter repeatedly.

She will be released to Whangārei but must not go into certain areas outside the city.

And, she is required to disclose details of any intimate relationship that begins or ends to her probation officer, and make her devices available upon request so her usage can be monitored.

The sex offender will appear again before the board for a monitoring hearing in five months.

Why were we left out? Guardian demands answers

The girl’s guardian said the situation was awful given the youngster had already been through so much.

She understood there was a process to register as a victim, but thought the board should have done more to ensure the child had a voice in the matter.

“There was a hearing in February - why wouldn’t they have contacted (us) back then if we weren’t registered? I’m sorry but it’s not an excuse,” she said.

“I’m just really upset by this, I can’t get it out of my head that she will be excited to join her boyfriend and her old life, while I’m having to explain to her daughter…

“I feel like we haven’t been heard, it’s just so unfair.”

The guardian said among the things the little girl wanted to speak to the board about was her mother’s release address.

The city the woman will be living in from today is the closest one to the small town where the girl and her new family live.

The girl wanted to speak to the Parole Board about her mother, and feels she has been overlooked. Photo / 123rf

They do not feel safe going there now as they fear running into the sex offender.

“(The victim’s) world has gotten smaller because she’s not able to go (there) anymore,” the guardian said.

The child also would have told the board she did not want any contact with her mother - regardless of any written permission from a probation officer.

The woman had written letters from prison to the child, which were uninvited and unwanted.

A Parole Board spokesperson acknowledged the guardian and child’s distress and explained why they were left out of the process.

“The board understands how distressing and frustrating this situation must be for the registered victim and its thoughts are with them,” they said.

“Someone who is a victim of crime and who wants to be told when their offender is going to appear before the board needs to join the victim notification register.

“The police are responsible for registering victims on the VNR. Registration is not automatic.

“The board is responsible for informing registered victims of the timing of their offender’s hearing, their right to make oral or written submissions and the outcome of the hearing.”

When a person is registered the board contacts them about three months before the offender’s hearing to advise of the date and invite oral or written submissions.

“Victim meetings and submissions are an important part of the board’s decision-making,” the spokesperson assured.

The board confirmed that when the sex-abusing mother appeared before the board in February and June there were no victims recorded in the VNR.

“The Victim Information Team only received the approved application from the police for (the victim) on 11 June 2024 - five days after the parole hearing took place,” said the spokesperson.

“The registration was entered into the VNR on the same day. The registered victim was rung on 20 June once the hearing decision was finalised. A copy of the decision was emailed to the registered victim on the same day.”

The victim will still have an opportunity to have her say, the board spokesperson said.

“Under the special conditions set by the board for (the offender’s) release on parole she is required to attend a monitoring hearing in November this year,” they said.

“The board will contact the registered victim well ahead of that hearing advising of its timing and inviting submissions.”

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years with a particular focus on family violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz

SEXUAL HARM

Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email [email protected]
• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz
Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.