In the Carnation-area in Seattle, a teenage girl (now 15) was systematically starved by the stepmother who limited the girl to a few drops of water a day. The father Jon Pomeroy, 43, wrote in plea paperwork that he knew his wife, Rebecca Long, was disciplining the girl by depriving her of food and water, but he opted not to intervene.
Police and prosecutors say that Pomeroy and his wife had for long isolated and starved the girl, who was just 4 feet 7 and weighed just 48 pounds when authorities found her in August 2008 after they were called to the home to check on the girl at the request of Child Protective Services. The teen suffered dehydration so severe that all of her teeth were rotting!
A veteran King County sheriff's detective said it was the worst case of abuse he had seen.
Investigators say the girl told them that Long permitted her half a Dixie cup of water a day and supervised the girl's showers and tooth-brushing so she could not sneak a drink. The girl said she once was caught drinking from the toilet because her thirst was so bad.
For more information, please read: Carnation man accused of starving daughter pleads guilty
"Violence can have severe implications for children’s development. In the most severe cases, it can lead to death or injury. However, it can also affect children’s health, their ability to learn or even their willingness to go to school at all. It can lead children to run away from home, exposing them to further risks. Violence also destroys children’s self-confidence and can undermine their ability to be good parents in the future. Children subjected to violence have a heightened risk of depression and suicide in later life "- quote from UNICEF
No comments:
Post a Comment