A man has been charged with assaulting a child, who remains in Dunedin Hospital with serious burns.
Detective Senior Sergeant Kallum Croudis, of the Dunedin CIB, confirmed police were investigating an incident involving a 3-year-old boy who received burn injuries.
Police were alerted to the incident, which occurred at a West Otago address, on Wednesday night, he said.
Police charged the man with assaulting a child. He yesterday received a registrar's adjournment to appear in the Gore District Court at a later date.
A St John spokesman said the ambulance service did not receive a 111 call about the incident.
However, St John sent an ambulance to the West Otago Health Centre in Tapanui.
The child was later transferred to Dunedin by the Otago Regional Rescue Helicopter.
The boy had ''severe burns to his body'', the St Johns spokesman said.
