Editor’s Note: This is a disturbing story about parents in Australia who were sentenced to prison for severely mistreating their daughter.
These parents, both 47 years old and living in a wealthy suburb of Perth, were found guilty of neglecting their daughter’s basic needs, specifically by not giving her enough food.
This happened in November of last year. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC.net) reported on the case.
In 2021, when she was 16 years old, this girl weighed only 60 pounds. This is an extremely low weight for a teenager.
According to reports, she became so thin and weak that she had to be taken to the hospital. Doctors had to put a feeding tube into her to get her the nutrients she needed. WA Today, another news source, also covered this part of the story.
Because the daughter is now 20 years old but was a minor when these crimes happened, the authorities have not released the names of the parents. This is to protect her privacy.
The parents weren’t just found guilty of not feeding her properly. They were also found guilty of failing to provide her with the emotional support, social interaction, and opportunities to develop skills that a child needs to grow into a healthy adult. On top of all that, the father admitted to forging his daughter’s birth certificate to make her look younger than she actually was.
On January 31st, the father was sentenced to six and a half years in prison, and the mother was sentenced to five years. Judge Linda Black, who presided over the case, spoke very strongly to the parents during the sentencing hearing.
She said that their actions, especially ignoring the advice of doctors and other medical professionals, were “unfathomable,” which means they were so shocking and difficult to understand. Judge Black emphasized that the parents prioritized their own strange beliefs over what was best for their daughter.
She went on to say that they had created a child who, even at over 20 years old, was not able to live independently like an adult should. The judge made it clear that the daughter had never been allowed to grow up.
Interestingly, the daughter was actually in court to support her parents when they were sentenced. WA Today reported that she sobbed when she heard the sentences. This detail was also reported by ABC.net.
During the trial, the prosecutors explained to the jury how the parents tried to keep their daughter a little girl forever. They dressed her and treated her like a preschooler, even though she was already 16 years old. They also homeschooled her, which meant she was isolated from other people for much of the time. WA Today also reported this information.
Witnesses who did see her described being shocked by her pale, yellowish skin and her extremely thin, almost skeletal appearance.
The parents’ lawyers tried to argue that the parents, as well as their daughter, all suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is a mental health condition that can cause people to have repetitive behaviors and thoughts. This information came from 9News.
Before the sentencing, the daughter wrote a letter to the judge, saying that she didn’t believe she had been harmed in any way. WA Today reported on this letter.
Judge Black said she would consider the letter, but she also pointed out that the daughter might not fully understand what had happened to her because she had been so isolated and controlled throughout her childhood.
The authorities started investigating the parents after the girl’s ballet teachers became concerned about how thin and weak she looked.
They reported their concerns, which led to the investigation. ABC.net reported that the daughter was taken into protective custody when her parents refused to allow doctors to give her a feeding tube, even though she was dangerously underweight.
If you suspect that a child is being abused or neglected, please reach out for help. You can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453). The hotline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and it’s free and confidential. They can help in over 170 languages. You can also visit their website at www.childhelp.org.