Perth parents jailed for almost starving their ballerina daughter to death lodge notices of appeal

The parents of a teenage ballerina almost starved their daughter to death, ignoring advice from doctors who held grave concerns for her welfare.

Parents who almost starved their ballerina daughter to death are pushing to have their convictions overturned.

The Perth couple, who cannot be identified, were jailed last month after they were found guilty in the District Court of recklessly caring for their daughter, which caused her suffering.

The mother was sentenced to five years’ jail and the father - who was also found guilty of fraud for forging his daughter’s birth certificate to make it seem she was younger than she was - was sentenced to six-and-a-half years.

The pair, both aged 48, have now lodged notices to appeal their convictions and sentences.

The girl’s father claims the jury’s verdict was unreasonable and unsupported by the evidence presented at trial.

Her mother is pursuing the appeal on the grounds the convictions were unsupported by the evidence and occasioned a miscarriage of justice.

The parents of a girl who was removed from their care because she was severely malnourished have appealed their jail sentence after being found guilty by a jury of neglectful care. Image supplied.

Authorities first became aware of the parents, both aged 48, after the girl’s ballet teacher made a report about her childlike appearance.

The couple were eventually forced to take their homeschooled daughter to medical treatment after repeatedly providing authorities with excuses for the girl’s frail appearance.

The couple claimed their daughter was born premature, was two years younger than her actual age and had a vegan diet.

Doctors found the girl, then 15, weighed the same as a nine-year-old child and was severely malnourished to the point she risked cardiac arrest and was socially underdeveloped.

Medical staff observed the parents encouraging their teenage daughter to watch children’s shows such as The Wiggles, Thomas the Tank Engine and Teletubbies.

During sentencing, District Court Judge Linda Black said the parent’s wilful blindness was the most extreme kind. Image supplied.

The girl was eventually removed from her parents’ care, but returned to live with them when she turned 18 years old.

During sentencing, District Court Judge Linda Black said to the parents that despite their daughter fading before their eyes, they argued and ignored advice from doctors that the girl was severely malnourished and they had grave concerns for her welfare.

She said the parents never let their daughter grow up and as a result she would never mature as an adult, their treatment of her she meant could not psychologically grasp the concept that the two people she loved most harmed her.

Judge Black said the parent’s wilful blindness was the most extreme kind.

Originally published as Perth parents jailed for almost starving their ballerina daughter to death lodge notices of appeal