Risk of committing a crime

Boy (3) starved to death: pre-trial detention of parents extended

It was only after the three-year-old had already died that the father notified the emergency services.(Bild: ZOOM Tirol)

In the case of the three-year-old boy who died of severe malnutrition in the Tyrolean district of Kufstein, the parents (25 and 26) had their remand extended on Friday at the Innsbruck Regional Court. The same grounds for detention as when the remand was imposed still apply.

The parents, who are the prime suspects, had to be detained due to the risk of reoffending. This was assumed against the background that the couple have three other children. These are still in the care of child and youth welfare services, said Social Affairs Minister Eva Pawlata (SPÖ) on Thursday on the sidelines of a press conference with the APA news agency. The next detention review will take place in a month.

Parents allegedly starved child
According to the authorities, the parents allegedly failed to provide the child with adequate food and fluids for "at least several weeks." In addition, there was suspicion that the parents had failed to contact a doctor "despite the obvious deterioration in his health and apparent weight loss," ultimately leading to the boy's death.

The father initially made no statement, while the mother stated that the child had been ill in recent weeks and had no appetite. A visit to the doctor had been planned for the near future.

Autopsy confirmed terrible suspicion
The boy was found dead in his bed at the end of May, whereupon the father notified the police. An autopsy finally revealed that the three-year-old had starved to death. After the parents had been in hospital due to a mental health emergency, they were arrested. The siblings – all girls – aged one, three, and six showed no signs of malnutrition. The family had not previously come to the attention of the authorities.