Prosecutors at the Lund District Court on Thursday filed charges against a 42-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, who had previously been in custody on suspicion of, among other things, poisoning their daughter by “forcing vinegar into her” last December.
The prosecutor describes the act as reckless and protracted.
“Both defendants have failed to intervene to protect her or immediately ensure that she received medical care for her injuries,” writes the Prosecutor’s Office in a press release.
The girl suffered caustic damage to her esophagus, and her stomach was completely destroyed after ingesting the vinegar, and needed to undergo surgery in hospital.
Subjected to torture
According to the indictment, the then six-year-old girl must have been subjected to torture for a long time. Among other things, the parents locked her in a room where they nailed the window, put a gate on the door and did not allow her to go to the toilet. She was thus forced to relieve herself in bed.
On another occasion, the parents allegedly locked her in the laundry room and removed the door handle from the inside, and tied her to a high chair.
In the girl’s room, the police have found traces of her blood on the walls, in the bed, on elements and on the board nailed to the window. Something that, according to the indictment, indicates that she was injured and abused by her parents for a long time.
The mother is also accused of assault by having poured boiling water on her daughter and not seeking care after the burns that occurred.
Malnourished and chilled
The seven-year-old was also exposed to severe malnutrition and starvation as the parents failed to give her enough food and drink.
The girl is also said to have been severely chilled and had a body temperature of 33.9 degrees at the time she was poisoned.
The parents must also have carried out sexual acts against the child, according to the prosecutor. They have been in custody since December denying all charges.
The municipality had been alerted earlier
As early as September 2022, the municipality received reports of concern about the family. But it was only when the girl ended up in hospital after the poisoning during Christmas that she and her siblings were taken into care.
– Now we are following up what happened and looking at whether we did the right thing, both in school, student health and social services, Jörgen Larsson, head of the children and education administration, previously told SVT.
Today, under the circumstances, the girl is doing well and goes to school, according to the prosecutor.