Perth Parents Accused of Starving Dancer Daughter

WARNING: This story contains details some people may find distressing.

A young girl who loved to dance may be the victim of parental abuse after allegations surfaced that her parents were starving her. The then 17-year-old weighed 27kg and was said to be as small as an 11-year-old when her dance teacher raised the alarm.

Now the parents accused of starving their daughter and “conduct that may have resulted in a child suffering” are in court.

Her parents have also admitted to lying about their daughter’s age, forging a birth certificate to suggest she was two years younger.

Teen loved to dance

The Perth dancer was homeschooled by her parents and attended a dance academy nearby. While the teen loved to dance, the dance teacher was concerned about her size and her mental functioning which was equivalent to a much younger child.

The young girl wore a size 6 dance costume, designed for a six-year-old. The teen also wore bows, frills and clothing that were consistent with what younger kids would wear and seemed to have “no independence whatsoever”.

When her parents were questioned, they stated that their daughter was simply small for her age and ate “a healthy vegan diet”.

Signs of weakness and fatigue

As the daughter’s health continued to deteriorate in dance class, the teacher refused to enter her in a dance festival and tried to reduce her training. The girl was vomiting in class and showed signs of “weakness and fatigue”.

The teacher, who has a medical background, wanted a health assessment to be conducted before the girl could rejoin the program.

The parents pulled their daughter out of that dance academy and went to another one instead, where the dance teachers were also concerned about the child’s weight and health. At that school, a teacher told the mother her daughter’s “lack of weight and muscle tone affected her dancing”.

Dance teacher raises alarm

The teacher contacted the WA Department of Child Protection, which opened an investigation into the family. The father continued to claim that she’d lost weight due to academic exams, and had allergies and refused to take her for a medical assessment.

The child was finally seen by a GP who found her to be 27 kg and barely more than 147 centimetres tall. Her body mass index (BMI) was 12.5, when a healthy BMI is 18.25.

The young girl had the average height of an 11-year-old, bone age consistency of a 13-year-old, and delayed puberty.

She was admitted to Perth Children’s Hospital days after she saw the GP, and doctors there tried to convince the parents of the need for medical care. They refused consent for a feeding tube and the department used its powers to bring her under care.

‘She was at risk of death’

The young girl spent 50 days in hospital where her height increased to 151 centimetres and her weight went up to more than 35 kilograms.

Doctors claim that her condition wasn’t explained by genetics or hormones, and told the court that “she was at risk of death.”

The court also heard concerns about the girl’s social and environmental development, as she liked TV programs like the Wiggles, Teletubbies, Charlie and Lola and other shows preferred by primary-age children.

Parents accused of starving daughter and forging birth certificate

Since the young girl has left hospital, she’s been in the care of a relative, has gained weight and height and has started menstruating.

Her parents are now on trial in Perth charged with “conduct that may have resulted in a child suffering”. They have already pleaded guilty to forging their daughter’s birth certificate.

More to come.

Feature Image a stock image and is not a representation of the victim.