Father on trial for torturing girl, 6, over seven months

A six-year-old girl was allegedly tortured by her father who broke her arm, shaved her head and forced her to lick her own urine off the floor during months of abuse, a court has heard. WARNING: distressing details.

A Redlands Coast man is on trial accused of torturing his six-year-old daughter, allegedly breaking her arm, shaving her head and forcing her to lick her own urine off the floor during months of abuse.

The 31-year-old father, who cannot be named, appeared in Brisbane District Court on Monday where he pleaded not guilty to torture, child cruelty, grievous bodily harm, four counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and two counts of common assault.

Crown prosecutor Carly Whelan told the court that the girl was not given adequate food, care or bedding and was “regularly assaulted” by her father at the family’s Capalaba house between May 2018 and January 2019.

The Redlands Coast father pictured outside Brisbane District Court on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Jono Searle

Ms Whelan said while the girl’s half-sister was sent to school with food, the child victim was often not given lunch and was forced to steal bread from the family kitchen.

The court heard how the defendant told other people to refer to his daughter “as he” after he shaved her head and would regularly make her stand for hours during “time out” while not allowing her to go to the toilet.

Ms Whelan described one occasion when the defendant allegedly locked the girl in a room overnight by tying a rope to the door, then made her “pick up her faeces and lick her urine off the floor” the next morning.

“She was made to sleep in the hallway sometimes with what she describes as a small mattress that had no pillows or sheets,” Ms Whelan said.

“There were also occasions where he would kick her while she was lying in the hallway.”

On another day in mid-2018, the man allegedly assaulted his daughter after getting angry at the way she was mowing the lawn.

“He dragged her away from the lawnmower and he smashed her head into the door of the garden shed,” Ms Whelan said.

The court was told that the girl needed surgery in November 2018 after her father allegedly fractured her arm, after threatening to break it.

Earlier that day he allegedly punched her in the face after she did not clean up a drink that her half-brother had spilt in the car.

Ms Whelan said the man’s partner eventually contacted Queensland Police after a visit from a family friend who witnessed the girl’s condition.

The girl was taken to Redlands Hospital in January 2019 and treated for multiple abrasions and bruises.

The court heard that when she was first interviewed by police at her school she told officers she had caused her own black eye.

The man’s defence barrister did not make an opening statement in the trial, which is expected to last five days.

The trial continues before Judge Julie Dick.