Mother ordered daughter, 9, to shoot man

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MASTERTON, New Zealand, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- A New Zealand woman pleaded guilty Monday to handing a rifle to her daughter, 9, and urging her to shoot the man she said abused her, court documents said.

The woman, 26, whose name was suppressed by the court until her sentencing in November, pleaded guilty in Masterton District Court to charges of cruelty to a child and unlawful possession of a firearm, the Wellington Dominion Post reported Monday.

The alleged abuser in the incident, the woman's boyfriend, was charged with the same offenses, as well as indecent assault of the girl. He denied the charges, court papers said.

The court Monday heard testimony from the girl's mother, who said she did not believe her daughter's story of abuse, offered her a rifle and demanded she shoot the man.

"While the co-defendant stood in the porch doorway, the defendant tried to force the victim to take hold of the firearm. As she did this she yelled angrily, 'This is your opportunity to shoot him for the things he has done to you. Shoot him. Do it,'" said Police Sgt. Gary Wilson.

The frightened girl refused to shoot, the newspaper said.

The mother told police she did not believe the child's claims and intended to scare the girl.

Following conviction, Judge Michael Berhrens allowed the mother supervised visits with the girl, the newspaper said.