The parents of a baby who died due to severe malnutrition will not be charged by the police.
They believed their faith would save him even though he was already dying.
The child was born at home on January 17, 2022, and he was not taken to a hospital despite being underweight and appearing to be sick.
The infant, who was referred to as Baby A, was lifeless and not breathing when he was found by his parents in their bedroom.
They decided not to call for help because they believed that he would still live.
His father said that he checked on the baby three hours earlier and that he was struggling with breathing.
The case was investigated by John Cain, a state coroner. He noted that the parents had strong religious beliefs and that the child’s weight suddenly dropped from 4 to 2.87 kilograms before he died.
The judge also noted that the parents did not seek medical help during the pregnancy.
According to Dr. Gregory Young, a forensic pathologist, the parents decided to have a natural birth.
He noted that the child died due to pneumonia, which was caused by malnutrition.
He also noted that the boy had a type of brain disease known as Alzheimer’s type II.
The child’s skin was dry and had wrinkles due to dehydration.
The report also stated that the mother breastfed her son for the first time the morning after he was born on December 29, 2021.
His parents started a structured feeding schedule on the fifth day of his life.
The child’s mother stated that he was blue and skinny when he was born on January 11, 2022.
Four days later, they decided to switch him to a different type of formula.
According to the coroner’s report, the mother noted that the child started to move his arms around more but had lost weight from his body.
Family members convinced the parents to call the police after their prematurely born son died.
The child’s birth certificate was not registered with the local authorities.
Around 13 hours after the parents ceased performing CPR on their prematurely born son, the police were notified.
They then dressed the child in new clothes and planned to bury him.
The police conducted an investigation into the boy’s death. They noted that they did not find evidence of criminality, and no charges were made against his parents.
The incident was reported on January 17, 2022. According to the police, the Crime Investigation Unit of Geelong handled the case.
The case highlighted the need for parents to consider the risks associated with choosing to have a free birth.
Although he could not determine how the child died, Judge Cain noted that it could have been prevented if the parents had sought medical help.
It was believed that the parents could have sought medical assistance earlier, which increased the likelihood that the baby would have survived.