A young woman, now 20, has written to state prosecutors pleading for her parents not to be imprisoned after they were found guilty of starving her throughout her childhood. The trial, which ended last week, also uncovered emotional abuse and a case of infantalisation rooted in the parents' emotional needs.
“Please can you drop the charges against my mum and dad so that I can keep living with my cat brothers and sisters?”
The parents will be sentenced over the offences early next year after dance teachers raised the alarm over the health of their homeschooled daughter. Department of Communities staff told the court that when they visited the home to check on the girl, it looked “cluttered” and cockroaches were seen scuttling out of the front door where they stood speaking to the father.
The mother also testified that she had little to do with her siblings, and claimed her daughter was hospitalised in part because her sister and their father had both spoken to the department about the girl’s emaciated appearance.Outside court, it was also mentioned that the girl was unable to do much for herself and needed constant care and help with day-to-day activities, such as washing and taking care of her hygiene. She was 17 years old at the time.
The jury was also not allowed to hear why the girl herself did not enter the courtroom to give evidence, and that seeing her so distressed almost brought District Court Judge Linda Black to tears.The girl was hospitalised after the Department of Communities investigated concerns from a dance studio.
Starvation Trial Emotional Abuse Infantalisation Prosecutors Parents Childhood
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