When Love Cripples: The Story of Kate, a Girl Who Was Forbidden to Grow Up
Many parents watch their children grow up with sadness. After all, the older the children get, the more they strive for independence and autonomy. But you have to come to terms with this - it's a natural process. However, some adults do not give up and go to extreme measures, trying to prolong the childhood of their offspring. Both children and adults suffer from this, and sometimes, as in the case of American Gypsy Blanchard, everything ends tragically. In Australia, the police saved 17-year-old Kate - a girl whose parents deliberately prevented her from developing, limiting her both physically and intellectually.
A couple from the Australian city of Perth, whose names are kept secret, abused their daughter Kate for many years. The family lived in a prosperous area and never experienced financial difficulties. From early childhood, Kate was fond of dancing, and her parents sent her to a ballet school. The girl dreamed of a career as a famous dancer, and the adults supported the aspirations of their only daughter in every way, sparing neither effort nor money.
Over time, their care became intrusive and acquired dangerous features. At first, the parents began to limit Kate's food intake, fearing that she might gain weight. Food was given out strictly on schedule and only in small portions, which is why the girl was constantly hungry.
When Kate was taken from her family by child welfare services at the age of 17, she weighed only 27 kg. This is approximately the normal weight of a 9-year-old. Due to a severe deficiency of nutrients and vitamins, the girl’s body was in a deplorable state. She showed no signs of puberty, her skin became dry and flaky, and her hair was thin and brittle.
Before this, Kate had already come to the attention of doctors during school examinations. Doctors even talked to her parents and warned that the girl was at risk of cardiac arrest due to exhaustion. But her father and mother were convinced that the doctors did not understand anything about medicine and ignored their comments.
One day, Kate was taken to hospital where she was fed through a tube inserted directly into her intestines. Her parents were repeatedly caught trying to remove the feeding device from their daughter's body. Eventually, the medical staff had to restrict their access to the room so that the parents would not harm the young patient.
Kate's parents didn't just starve her to look like a child. They denied she was growing up. All she ate was vegetarian baby food. They gave her Barbie dolls for holidays and forced her to watch cartoons and baby TV shows like Teletubbies and Thomas the Tank Engine.
In addition, her parents strictly suppressed any teenage hobbies of their daughter. They forbade her to communicate with her peers. While her classmates were taking driving tests and working after school, Kate was dressed in princess costumes and given toys. Even her clothes were bought exclusively in children's departments, which is why she was constantly ridiculed at school and on the street.
It got to the point that the parents forged their daughter's birth certificate. They did this so that she could study ballet with the younger group. Additionally, she was taken to piano lessons. As a result, Kate had no free time at all - she was constantly moving between school, sections and home.
Kate's parents always took her to and from school by car, not allowing her a minute to be alone. Her mother had long since quit her job and literally never left her daughter's side, monitoring her every step. The first serious concerns about the girl's fate arose among the teachers of the ballet studio. It was they who insisted that Kate be hospitalized.
At the hospital, the strange family was noticed by neighbors in the ward. They noticed that one of the parents was constantly near Kate and treated her like a small child. The 17-year-old girl was fed with a spoon, dressed, led by the hand to the toilet and wiped her nose with a handkerchief. In addition, the parents constantly played cartoons for children on her tablet.
Doctors who observed this alarming picture contacted the guardianship authorities, who immediately reported the situation to the police. The investigation revealed many shocking details about the life of this strange family. Investigators came to the conclusion that Kate's continued stay with her parents put her life at risk. As a result, the girl was removed from the family, and the couple was brought to trial.
In court, the couple denied all the accusations and insisted that their daughter refused to eat herself, afraid of gaining weight. They claimed that Kate behaved like a little girl of her own free will. As for the forgery of documents, the parents said that they were forced to do it out of love for their daughter. Allegedly, they wanted to protect her from ridicule because of her childish appearance.
But Judge Linda Black was not swayed by these arguments. During her speech, she said:
The court sentenced Kate's parents to real prison terms. The father received 6.6 years in prison, and the mother - five years. Now the girl is 20 years old, she has gained the necessary weight and looks like any other peer. She does not consider her parents criminals and regularly writes letters to all sorts of authorities asking for their release. According to her, the connection with her family is too important for her, and it is extremely difficult for her to live without her father and mother.
Kate is currently avoiding contact with journalists and spending a lot of time with her lawyers. They are preparing another appeal that could allow her parents to return to normal life. Since the couple has already served a significant part of their sentence, they have a real chance of being released on parole.
Kate's story raises many questions about the boundaries of parental care. Where is the line between care and cruel control? Can her parents' actions be justified by their love? Share your opinion!