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The teenager, who appeared far younger than her age, was kept on a meagre diet of organic pears, strawberries, minestrone soup and ice cream
The girl required five days of feeding through a tube and a strict diet plan to address the severe malnutrition. (News18 Hindi)
In a shocking case of neglect, a couple in Australia’s Perth have been imprisoned for subjecting their 17-year-old daughter to a dangerously restrictive diet and gruelling dance regime, leaving her resembling a nine-year-old’s physique.
The Daily Star reports that the teenager, who appeared far younger than her age, was kept on a meagre diet of organic pears, strawberries, minestrone soup and ice cream.
Her only outings were for dance training, where concerned teachers eventually raised the alarm about her deteriorating health, urging her parents to seek medical attention.
While the parents initially obtained a fake medical certificate, they later took their daughter to the Children’s Hospital.
Doctors were horrified to discover the girl was suffering from Grade 4 malnutrition, describing her as a “walking skeleton”. She required five days of feeding through a tube and a strict diet plan to address the severe malnutrition. After 50 days in hospital, her condition improved slightly.
Disturbingly, the parents reportedly treated their teenage daughter like a young child, exposing her to cartoons and gifting her dolls.
The case ultimately reached the court, where the father received a sentence of six-and-a-half years and the mother five years for child neglect. Despite the horrific ordeal, the girl herself pleaded with the court for leniency, expressing concern about being left homeless if her parents were incarcerated.
