Chilling court details reveal prolonged neglect and malnutrition led to toddler’s death
In a harrowing case in the United Kingdom, an Indian-origin couple has been accused of deliberately starving their three-year-old daughter to death nearly two years ago. According to The Daily Telegraph, 34-year-old Manpreet Jatana and 36-year-old Jaskiret Singh Uppal face charges of murder, manslaughter, causing or allowing the death of a child, and abandoning or causing unnecessary suffering or injury. The couple has been remanded in custody until their next court hearing on December 16, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
The Old Bailey was informed that the couple subjected their daughter to prolonged neglect, ultimately causing fatal malnutrition, with police discovering her emaciated body at their West London home on December 17, 2023
Judge Lynn Tayton was told that Jatana and Uppal mistreated the toddler over an extended period, deliberately withholding adequate nutrition. Investigators found the home in Hayes in poor condition and noted that the family’s vegetarian diet largely consisted of yoghurt, lentils, and butter. Pathological findings indicated “starvation over a prolonged period of many months culminating in fatal ketoacidosis,” confirming the cause of death as severe malnutrition.
