By Rebecca Peppiatt
A wealthy Floreat couple have gone on trial over accusations they starved their teenage daughter, treated her like a young child, denied her medical attention, and lied about her age.
The couple, who cannot be named to protect the identity of their child, pleaded not guilty to having care or control of a child engaged in conduct that was reckless and may have resulted in that child suffering.
Perth Children’s Hospital.Credit: Getty Images
The father pleaded guilty to uttering a forged record.
On the first day of their 11-day trial, state prosecutor Jehna Winter told Perth District Court the girl had limited contact with people outside her immediate family, and her parents allegedly did not believe she had any health issues or required any medical treatment.
The court was told the girl, who was homeschooled and an only child, had the appearance of an 11-year-old and suffered from hair loss and extremely low body weight.
The intervention of two dance instructors drew the attention of the Department of Communities, which pressured the parents to get the child medically assessed.
But Winter alleged the parents ignored the doctors’ advice and denied the child had any nutritional deficiencies.
“On each occasion [the mother] repeatedly dismissed concerns and said [the daughter] ate a healthy vegan diet and had no problems,” the court was told.
“[The mother] repeatedly said there was nothing wrong with her and said she was a premature baby, had a history of small stature in the family, and said her orange and sallow skin was due to eating too many carrots.
“Her severe malnourishment was obvious.
“Her appearance was extreme. It would have been apparent to anyone who saw her that there was something seriously wrong with her, and it would have been apparent to her parents.”
The jury was shown a photo of the girl five weeks before she was admitted to hospital.
At that time, she was a few months shy of turning 17 years old, but had the gaunt appearance of a young child.
She weighed just 23 kilograms.
Winter told the jury the girl’s parents did not seek any medical attention, care or treatment for over five years before she was hospitalised and put on a nasal feeding tube in April 2021.
As exclusively reported in WAtoday last year, they were arrested and charged shortly after.
The court was told concerns were not just raised in relation to the child’s dangerously low weight, but also in her small child-like appearance.
The court heard the girl dressed like an eight-year-old, had an interest in young child-like shows such as Bluey, Thomas the Tank Engine, and princess fairy books.
She liked to play with children much younger than herself and the court was told she had no understanding of puberty and no body consciousness of other children the same age.
Winter told the jury the parents allegedly lied about their daughter’s age, telling two dance studios she was two years younger than she was. When they queried her date of birth, the parents allegedly provided a false birth certificate.
When one dance school refused to allow the girl to compete and take extra classes because they were so concerned about her health and wellbeing, the parents enrolled her elsewhere. But that dance school also raised concerns, as did parents and even fellow students.
The girl’s parents allegedly responded by saying she was being discriminated against because she was “vegan and skinny”, the court heard.
When a child safety team conducted an investigation into the girl, the child’s father said it was “absolutely ridiculous and frivolous” and said he could not take his daughter to a GP because she had a phobia and fear and doctors.
But they later relented after being pressured to do so by authorities. After assessing the girl, a GP described her as “severely underweight”.
The court was told the doctor wanted to give the girl an ECG as her heart rate was elevated, but her parents allegedly refused to give consent.
Winter told the court the doctor held “grave concerns” and urged the parents to take their daughter to the emergency department at Perth Children’s Hospital.
“[The mother] became very distressed and said they could not do that because they were still upset about the death of their 22-year-old cat,” Winter said.
A week later, the family attended the hospital, which led to the girl being placed under the care of the Department of Communities.
By then she weighed 28 kilograms.
She was hospitalised for 50 days, with doctors finding no known reason for her malnutrition.
During her hospital stay, she gained 7 kilograms and grew 3 centimetres.
Winter told the court contact between the parents and their daughter had to be restricted because of unusual behaviour from the parents, including their claims that the hospital was “killing kids”, and negative comments about the food she was provided.
The parents also allegedly said the gastric nasal feeding tube was turning their daughter “into a junkie”.
The court was told hospital staff also noted concerning interactions between the girl and her parents, such as them helping her brush her teeth and hair, and the mother allegedly wiping her genitals after she had been to the bathroom.
They also encouraged her to watch shows such as The Wiggles and Frozen, and when the girl celebrated her 17th birthday in hospital, they bought her a magnetic fishing toy.
But lawyers for the parents argued the girl was a fussy eater and that she suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder, which would lead to excessive periods of trampolining and anxiety.
Michael Perrella, who is representing the mother, told the jury his client watched her daughter eat regularly and that she would also consume supplements and vitamins.
He also said the girl had a phobia of germs and that blood tests taken at Perth Children’s Hospital showed there were “no serious problems” with the girl’s health.
In relation to her behaviour at the hospital, Perrella said the hospital stay was “traumatising” for the mother and child.
The trial continues.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.