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Parents charged with killing 16-year-old daughter by allowing her to become morbidly obese

43 replies

TibetanTerrah · 22/03/2022 15:46

Apologies if this is posted elsewhere, and for the Daily Mail link...

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10640031/Parents-charged-killing-obese-16-year-old-daughter-dead-bed.html

I know childhood obesity is a huge problem, but the girl had spina bifida and hydrocephalus... I don't think 'ensuring she had enough exercise' was high on their agenda!

This seems ridiculously harsh from the info in the article.

OP posts:
Midlifemusings · 22/03/2022 17:47

If she is now immobile, her condition has changed as the picture in the article show a mobile teen.

If seems parents did not support a healthy lifestyle and when her condition deteriorated and she started to have bed sores that became infected, they did not take adequate steps to get the medical help necessary to sustain life. Whether this was due to intentional negligence or due to ignorance of how to get help is unknown.

Happymum12345 · 22/03/2022 17:50

It’s heartbreaking. I have two lean, healthy children and one slightly overweight child. It’s not as easy as don’t feed them so much etc, for those that think it is, you’re lucky you don’t know the reality of having a child that likes to eat.
Their poor daughter, couldn’t exercise, which wouldn’t have helped. It sounds from the charges, that she was neglected but we don’t know the reasons why. It’s all terribly sad.

itsjustnotok · 22/03/2022 17:50

@TibetanTerrah having a disability does not mean you cannot encourage some form of exercise. People just love a good excuse, the article describes more than just lack of exercise as well. Add it all together and this was the result. Parents need to wake up and realise that obesity in the young (where not for medical reasons before someone suggests it) is serious. I’ve met too many children who’s parents are utterly clueless and have allowed them to eat whatever they want and play on their Xbox all night. Then when it all goes wrong we ask why no one intervened and what help the family received.

LaraDeSalle · 22/03/2022 17:55

From the photos where she was younger she was chubby but looked like she was physically active and then only a few years later she is pictured looking huge.

I’m sure I recall a similar case of a girl called Georgia (The awful title of Britain’s fattest teen) who’s mother fed her junk and opened the door to deliveries of fish and chips, pizza and kebabs every night that Georgia was ordering by phone and took it up to her.

A psychiatrist at the time said the mother didn’t want to be alone so allowed her daughter to reach over 50 stone to stop her from leaving.

She was removed by a crane after they knocked a wall down.

As far as I know she’s still alive.

FrownedUpon · 22/03/2022 17:59

Good-I’m glad the parents are facing consequences for this. Looks like horrendous neglect. Poor girl.

TheFairyCaravan · 22/03/2022 18:10

The poor child was neglected whatever anyone says. Her parents did that to her so it’s right that they’re charged.

I’m disabled but I’m not overweight. I don’t want to be because my already very knackered and painful joints would end up a whole lot worse. I literally can’t exercise, I can just about hobble about on crutches so I limit what and how much I eat.

Hellorhighwater · 22/03/2022 18:10

Just a gentle reminder they ‘exercise’ isn’t just cardio. People with limited mobility still need exercise, and often have prescribed programmes and need assistance.

It sounds like a truly awful case of gross neglect. Obesity is barely even relevant in the circumstances. Trust the Daily Wail be handwringing over the wrong issues!

HRTQueen · 22/03/2022 18:13

What a terribly sad story

Supper for parents with disabled children is shamefully poor.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they were just unable to get support at the time or it was so limited the effort didn’t seem worth it

How many children have to be let down by services before things drastically change

lunar1 · 22/03/2022 18:50

She was clearly neglected, but I think there is blame to go around. There is no way a child with her history isn't known to multiple NHS services and social services. It's impossible to know from the little detail in the article but I would guess she was failed by multiple sources.

It's unbelievably sad.

BeHappy91818 · 22/03/2022 18:56

medical cause of death was given as 'inflammation and infection in extensive areas of ulceration arising from obesity and it's complications in a girl with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.'

Sounds like her parents didn’t care for her properly!

FatCatThinCat · 22/03/2022 18:56

I ask my GP for gym membership as I'm disabled and obese. He refused. Said why should he waste his budget on me when I'm just greedy.

alexdgr8 · 22/03/2022 19:03

we shouldn't be discussing an active criminal case.
it may be prejudicial.
wait until the matter has been concluded legally.

Thatsnotmygame · 22/03/2022 19:07

There is more to it than being charged bacause their dd was obese.

ChoiceMummy · 22/03/2022 19:26

[quote TibetanTerrah]@Cocomarine considering the CPS can barely bring a rape trial to court, I'm unsure how this case has got this far to suggest 'neglect' via obesity or otherwise during the height of covid, expecting parents to presumably lift and sponge bath a morbidly obese, physically and mental disabled teen and treat her ulcers with - probably - little to no outside help.

It raised a number of questions in my head which MN can be useful to get ideas about - when they're not sniping... Like at what point does childhood obesity become neglect? And where is the line between 'failure to cope' and 'wilful neglect'?

They obviously think they have enough evidence to prosecute successfully. It was the wider implications I was thinking about really.[/quote]
I think that the Dailly Mail are obviously focussing on the most emotive element. But did state, The charge also states 'nor did they ensure she got enough exercise, was in a hygienic condition, had a safe and hygienic environment, her physical health was maintained, or that reasonable medical help was sought.' This suggests the issues were bigger than diet and exercise. And again call into question the inactions of school, medical professionals and social services

StrictlySinging · 22/03/2022 19:34

Sounds like the Daily Mail picked the most eye catching headline.

Reading the details it sounds like a string of neglect charges of which the morbid obesity is one - something like dietitian appointments were offered and not attended might evidence such a charge for example.

Gingerkittykat · 22/03/2022 19:40

Gym membership on the NHS is a thing. You can get referred to a weight management programme that includes free gym membership

In some areas you might, but not in all. They do a weekly NHS fitness class here which you need to be referred to and costs £4.50 a week.

The leisure centres do allow a carer to accompany a disabled person for free though.

I noticed the parents were charged with providing adequate nutrition from March 24 until her death in October. I wonder how they were coping before lockdown?

There is clearly a lot more going on here than simple obesity.

TibetanTerrah · 22/03/2022 19:58

@FatCatThinCat your GP said that? Shock I hope you complained!

OP posts:
FourLittleStars · 22/03/2022 20:24

It seems odd, spina bifida and hydrocephalus are both degenerative and fatal conditions with short life expectancy and multiple complications.

She'd have been in and out of hospital all her life, presumably they must have been taking adequate/good care of her until recently.

It makes you wonder what happened recently for that to fall apart. I hope she didn't suffer and the answers are found.

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