Authorities intend to request their temporary arrest to ensure a proper investigation.
According to Ewa Antonowicz, spokesperson for the Zielona Góra District Prosecutor’s Office, the child weighed only 8 kilograms, less than half the expected weight of 18 kilograms for her age. Hospitalized in a dire state, she was suffering from multiple organ failure, a condition prosecutors attribute to chronic malnutrition and inadequate care by her parents.
“The parents were charged with creating a life-threatening disease through improper feeding and failing to meet the child’s nutritional needs,” Antonowicz said. “In the prosecution’s view, this also constitutes the crime of mistreating a minor.” She added that the suspects, who have been detained, provided statements but did not admit guilt.
If convicted, the parents could face up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors plan to ask the court to remand them in custody to safeguard the investigation’s integrity.
Antonowicz explained that the matter has also been referred to a family court. Once the girl’s medical treatment ends, and she is stable enough to leave the hospital, the child will be placed in a care institution for her protection.
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Source: Onet, Polsat News