A 14-year-old girl weighing only 2.5 stone has been rescued from what authorities describe as a nightmarish environment where her overweight family members allegedly kept her captive and withheld food as a form of punishment.
Upon arrival, law enforcement officers discovered the severely underweight and malnourished girl. According to police reports obtained by The Mirror, the teenager exhibited prominent collar bones, rib cage, hip bones, and cheek bones, appearing to be the size of a six to eight year old child.
When questioned about the girl’s condition, her biological father, Walter Goodman, 47, reportedly stated that she had a reluctance to eat and that he had ceased seeking medical care due to his dissatisfaction with a particular doctor. Documents indicate that Goodman claimed the girl was autistic and had been under his sole care since May 2020.
The incident came to light in Wisconsin on August 21 when Goodman sought help as the girl fell ill and became “comatose,” having allegedly gone without food for several days. Medical responders swiftly transported her to the hospital where she was diagnosed with hepatitis, multiple organ dysfunction, and severe malnutrition.
Describing the girl’s condition, Outagamie County assistant district attorney Julie DuQuaine remarked, “She looked like a skeleton. She was literally just skin and bones at 35 lbs (2.5 st).” While teenage weights can vary, data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated an average weight of about 9 stone for a 14-year-old girl in the country.
Further revelations from documents suggested that Walter had reportedly threatened not to feed the girl if she misbehaved, confining her to her room under surveillance and depriving her of food and water as a form of punishment.
The girl has since been removed from the household and is showing signs of improvement under the care of another family. Medical staff noted that she displayed no aversion to food and alleged that Goodman would become upset if she consumed too much.
All four adults involved have been charged with chronic child neglect and are currently detained on a $100,000 (£76,627) cash bail.
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