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Wednesday, 2 March 2016 - 16:15
Girl rescued from abusive home had body temp of just 22.6 degrees
Father Ron T. and stepmother Petra M. from Roelofarendsveen are in court on Wednesday facing charges of attempted manslaughter. According to the Public Prosecutor, the two systematically abused their children Wendy and Dylan, aged 12 and 14 when they were discovered last year, AD reports.
Wendy had a body temperature of only 23.6 degrees when emergency services found her in her parents home on Geestweg in Roelofarendsveen last year, was revealed in court today. She was cold, had no heart beat and wasn't breathing. The ambulance workers thought she was dead. They nevertheless resuscitated her, incubated her and took her to the hospital, where her body temperature measured 22.6 degrees.
According to the Public Prosecutor, Wendy was regularly put under a cold shower, and had to sleep on a wet mattress, under an open window, in an unheated room. The Prosecutor also believes she was abused, as bruises were found on her body.
A number of shocking videos were shown during the hearing. One showed Wnedy standing and eating out of a pan. She is shaking, her hand is swelled up and there is food around her mouth. Another video shows Dylan wetting his pants.
Petra M. told the court that Wendy was a poor eater. Ron T. added that a school teacher told him Wendy refused to eat so she would end up in the hospital and can contact her real mother.
The defendants lawyers plan to argue for an acquittal. Neither of them would comment on why they think this is possible.