Parents face 6 years in prison for starving baby to death

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) recommended a six-year prison sentence against the parents of a deceased baby in Helvoirt, Noord-Brabant. The boy was 17 days old when he died due to malnutrition. According to the OM, he was not given adequate food by his parents. Their diet consisted mainly of mushrooms.

The boy’s father, Robert G., phoned the emergency number 112 on February 26 because the baby felt cold and was not breathing. An ambulance worker found the baby small, blue, and unresponsive. Resuscitation was no longer possible. The parents were in shock.

No doctor or specialist was present during the pregnancy or the child’s birth. However, an appointment had been scheduled with a holistic doctor. The condition of the mother, Oleksandra G., was also life-threatening. The ambulance worker thought that the emergency aid was for her at first, because she had a yellowish complexion. The woman followed a low-carb diet and avoided animal products. There was little food in the home, except for several plastic containers labeled “truffle.”

The mother did not produce enough breast milk. For this reason, the parents decided to feed the baby mushrooms and soy powder in demineralized water, which is completely unsuitable, according to the prosecutor.

In 2022, the woman also gave birth to an underdeveloped child, who was placed in foster care immediately after birth. Oleksandra G. has since undergone sterilization.

Investigations showed that the baby was severely malnourished and extremely small. According to the prosecutor, the parents ignored all warning signs and forced their beliefs on the baby “at all costs,” adding that the boy was starved for 17 days.

“We never intended to act in a way that would harm his health,” the man said. He claimed that their mental state at the time was poor due to inadequate nutrition. “We thought we were capable of caring for a child, but that was absolutely not the case,” the woman admitted.

The police found a deleted website by the couple about the divine power of psilocybin mushrooms (magic mushrooms). Their baby, “Psilo,” was named after them. “Now we know that we need more nutrients than just mushrooms, such as protein,” the woman said. The couple is still vegan.

The suspects are currently not in custody. They were examined at the Pieter Baan Centre. According to experts, both suffer from a delusional disorder, with the woman being the one who triggers it. Both are considered partially criminally responsible.

The court will deliver its verdict on October 7.