Parents of the ballerina arrested: abuse despite the attention of attention

Parents of the ballerina arrested: abuse despite the attention of attention

The shocking circumstances of a neglected girl in Brisbane, Australia, have shaken the public. When she was admitted to the hospital, her hair was brittle, her skin scaled, and she was so severely malnourished that the doctors spoke of an acute risk of cardiac arrest and even death. Although she was only 17 years old, she looked much younger and weighed only 27.3 kilograms-which corresponds to the average weight of a 9-year-old child.

The judgment against the parents

The judges' views

Judge Linda Black found in her judgment that it was obvious that the parents loved their daughter, but failed to support her physically and emotionally in her parents' duties. "This is not a case of a malnourished ballerina," said judge Black when she sentenced the father to six years and the mother for five years in prison. This was a reduced punishment to take their "personal circumstances" into account.

kate - a girl who was not allowed to grow up

For the sake of anonymity, we call the girl Kate. The court documents included photos that show Kate in colorful costumes, happy smiling and with her hair in the typical pose of a graceful ballerina. Her mother, who had given up her career to take care of Kate, were closed to the ballet hours to network with other children. Nevertheless, the daughter was denied essential elements of growing up.

Development opportunities

"There was nothing in her home that was even a bit age -appropriate," noted the judge. Kate was exposed to children's programs such as teletubbies and frozen, while other young people were looking for their first jobs and browsing social media. Instead, Kate celebrated princess birthday parties and received barbie dolls as gifts. While other girls lived through puberty, Kate's development stagnated.

The defense of the parents

The father found in court that Kate was a "keyful eater" and became a vegetarian at the age of eight before she became vegan in her early teenage years. He argued that she had enough food. "It was never a case in which food was withheld from a child," said lawyer Oliver Paxman and emphasized that his clients had love and care for her daughter.

The assessment of the court

Judge Black was not convinced. She expressed doubts about the assumption of the parents that they had not noticed the health problems of their daughter. The references to Kate's malnutrition were enormous and urgently required medical help. "It seemed as if everyone who had the opportunity to get to know Kate understood that she was badly malnourished, except for the two people who specifically love her," she said.

The influence of parents on Kate's life

Another aspect that the judge took into account was the behavior of the parents who had severely affected Kate in their actions. They would have taken the opportunity to grow and develop, and instead tell a number of lies about Kate's age. These lies to cover up the neglect have been pronounced several times to disguise Kate's true age.

a worried daughter

Kate himself commented in a letter to the judge and asked to drop the indictment. She made it clear that she was dependent on her parents and feared that she was unable to cope with her life if they were to go to prison. This underlined the problematic relationship between her and her parents.

conclusion and teaching from the case

Judge Black emphasized that it is not unusual that parents have difficulty letting go, but it is crucial that they give their children the necessary skills to be successful without them. The case of Kate raises questions about parental control and neglect that can have far -reaching effects on the well -being of children. Such cases are rare, but they illustrate how important it is that parents give their children space for development.