Pressespiegel:
Vegane (?) Eltern verurteilt

NEW YORK (May 19, 2003 10:48 p.m. EDT) - Two parents convicted of nearly starving their infant daughter to death by putting her on their strict vegan diet were given prison sentences of five and six years Monday, prosecutors said.

The baby, Ice Swinton, weighed just 10 pounds, had rickets, had no teeth and could not walk, sit or roll over when she was taken into custody in November 2001. Prosecutors said the baby, 16 months old when discovered, was too weak to cry.

Justice Richard L. Buchter sentenced Joseph and Silva Swinton, both 32, for their convictions last month on charges of assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. The father was given five years, the mother six.

"The defendants placed their newborn on a self-styled vegan diet that brought her to the brink of death," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement. "The defendants, despite pleas from many of their family and friends, arrogantly ignored warnings and never sought medical attention for their child."

Prosecutors argued that the Swintons treated Ice like a gerbil, feeding her ground nuts, fresh-squeezed juices, herbal tea, beans, cod liver oil and flax seed oil.

The parents said their health improved after they restricted their diets and they hoped their child would benefit from eating similar foods. Lawyers for the Swintons said the parents were unaware they were harming the child.

Doctors testified that Ice was at risk of heart failure because of the poor nutrition and warned that she may experience developmental problems.

The baby is recovering in foster care but still has serious developmental problems, the district attorney's office said.


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