Parents, Who Starved Daughter For Years To Keep Her ‘Little Girl Forever’, Jailed
After forcing their daughter to follow a rigorous diet to preserve her childish appearance, an Australian couple was found guilty of child abuse.
The parents of a 20-year-old woman were convicted of child abuse after putting her on a strict diet for years in an attempt to keep her small and skinny so she could be their “little girl forever." The Australian parents, who resided in a posh area of Perth, were convicted of not feeding their child enough since, at the age of 16, she weighed just 27 kg.
The teenager had to be admitted to the hospital and put on a feeding tube because she had become so weak and malnourished. In an attempt to make her appear younger than she was, her father even attempted to alter the date of her birth on her certificate.
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At 16, her parents dressed her in preschool clothes, making her look like a tiny girl. The parents were also deemed to have failed to give her emotional, social, and functional development because the girl was homeschooled and kept out of the public eye for the majority of her life. Her ballet teachers were worried about how thin she had become, which led to the discovery of her condition.
The teen’s hobbies were similar to those of a child who was much younger than her, the court was also told. She needed assistance using the restroom, hummed along to Wiggles songs, and watched TV programs designed for young children.
Even though she was nearly 17, her room was crammed with plush toys, Disney princesses, and preschool-aged television series like Dora the Explorer and Thomas the Tank Engine.
In addition, the teenager needed assistance from her parents with everyday chores like brushing her teeth and peeling a banana. Her mother continued to help her get dressed and brush her hair.
In a strongly written remark, Judge Linda Black chastised her parents and sentenced them to six years in prison. “You put your own opinions ahead of what was best for your daughter. You have created a child who is not able to function as an independent adult at the age of more than 20 years old. She’s never been allowed to grow up," the judge said as quoted by Daily Mail.
Meanwhile, the parents’ solicitors argued that because the family had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), their activities were permissible.
Despite the charges against her parents, the girl reportedly sobbed when their sentences were announced. She also read a statement to the court before the sentencing saying that she didn’t believe her parents had wronged her “in any way."
When the woman’s parents’ sentencing was announced, she allegedly sobbed despite the charges against them. In addition, she told the judge in a statement before the sentencing that she didn’t think her parents had harmed her “in any way."
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