The 3 1/2-year-old daughter of deported German national Samaneh Rezaei doesn't speak English.

But her broken arm, her near fatal head injuries and her battered body showed police and physicians how much she has suffered since her mother took her to Las Vegas to live with Arash Hashemi, a man Rezaei had met on the Internet and visited twice this year.

Rezaei was deported before she could answer to criminal abuse and neglect charges. Hashemi faces the prospect of a grand jury indictment for the abuse allegations police have leveled against him. Prosecutors plan to proceed with abuse and neglect charges against Rezaei in absentia next week.

On Thursday in Clark County Family Court, attorneys met with Alternate Hearing Master Thomas Kurtz to debate the fate of the German girl, who is now in the United States without a parent or relative.

She remains in protective custody, where she was placed after undergoing emergency surgery for head trauma on Aug. 25.

"This is a German child subject to German custody," said Attorney Joseph Sciscento, who represents Rezaei in the abuse and neglect case.

Sciscento said the mother wants the child returned to Germany.

Contact has been made with German child protective services, Sciscento said, and arrangements have been made for the girl to live with her paternal aunt, under supervision of the German authorities.

Deputy District Attorney Ron Cordes opposed Sciscento's position, as did attorney Steve Hiltz of the Children's Attorney Project, who was appointed by Kurtz to represent the girl.

"There are serious allegations of physical abuse where this child appears to have been tortured," Cordes said.

Cordes reminded Kurtz that both the mother and Hashemi are suspects in the case. Sending the child back to Germany would potentially put her closer to one of her abusers, Cordes said, and might also deprive the prosecution of a necessary witness in the case.

Hiltz, who has not yet met with the child, said questions about the aunt's fitness as a guardian needed to be addressed.

He said it was his impression after speaking with staff from the Clark County Department of Family Services that the aunt had been in Las Vegas briefly when the abuse may have been taking place.

"The main issue, of course, is the child's safety," Hiltz said. "There are grave concerns and issues not just with the mother, but with the aunt and family about their ability to protect" the girl from Hashemi.

The initial criminal charges against Hashemi were withdrawn by prosecutors this week because they weren't prepared to proceed with the case. Hashemi was then re-arrested and served with a search warrant.

Prosecutor Vicki Monroe said Hashemi and his attorney have been notified of the prosecution's intent to seek an indictment.

No decision was made about the child's status.

"Isn't it our obligation to have the German Office of Child Welfare address this allegation that we just heard today from Mr. Hiltz?" Kurtz asked when Sciscento objected to delaying the girl's return to Germany. "If we're doing our job, shouldn't we have them address it?"

Within a two-month period this summer, two child protective services investigations involving Rezaei and Hashemi were opened.

The second case, involving the head injuries, began when the couple took the injured child to Summerlin Hospital's emergency room, saying the girl had fallen down the stairs. Physicians told police that the child's head injuries were not consistent with a fall.

The first case was opened after three friends of Hashemi's sister, Avita, contacted police in July.

"The women reported that Avita Hashemi had contacted them stating that her brother had caused several injuries to (the child's) face and body, including severe facial bruising, a missing fingernail, (a) bite mark to one of the heels of her feet and a tongue injury," police documents said.