Parents in custody

Boy (3) starved to death: detention requested against parents

The suspected parents were remanded in custody on Friday.

(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

The magistrate has ruled: The parents of the three-year-old boy from the Tyrolean district of Kufstein, who was found dead in the family's apartment earlier this week, were remanded in custody on Friday afternoon. A few hours earlier, the public prosecutor's office had submitted a request for this. The case is being investigated on suspicion of murder - the child is said to have starved to death in agony.

On Wednesday, the suspected parents (aged 25 and 26) were arrested after a stay in hospital due to a mental state of emergency. The first interrogations followed on Thursday, and on Friday morning the public prosecutor's office decided to apply for pre-trial detention, which was then imposed in the afternoon.

Investigation on suspicion of murder
"The Innsbruck Regional Court has ordered the parents of the three-year-old boy to be remanded in custody on urgent suspicion of the crime of murder due to the risk of committing the crime," was the official statement from the regional court.

According to the investigations to date, there is suspicion that the parents "failed to provide the three-year-old boy with adequate food and fluids over a period of at least several weeks and to contact a doctor despite the obvious deterioration in his state of health and his apparent weight loss", said StA spokesman Hansjörg Mayr.

According to the investigations so far, it is suspected that the parents failed to provide the three-year-old boy with adequate food and fluids for a period of at least several weeks.

StA-Sprecher Hansjörg Mayr

Bild: Christof Birbaumer

Death due to "massive malnutrition"
The boy was found lying dead in his bed in the late morning of Whit Monday after the father called the police. According to preliminary autopsy results, the three-year-old child died "due to massive malnutrition".

In any case, the further investigation will continue to clarify the extent to which "the child's death could have other medical causes". So far, however, there are no indications of this.

Father remains silent, mother's statement
"While the father has so far exercised his right not to testify, the mother stated that the child had been ill in recent weeks and had no appetite. A visit to the doctor was planned soon," said prosecution spokesman Mayr about the interviews so far. The presumption of innocence applies to both.

The investigations are now continuing. In two weeks, the court will have to re-examine whether the reasons for the pre-trial detention still apply.

Family so far inconspicuous to the authorities
Three other siblings were placed in the care of child and youth welfare services. However, the girls (aged 1, 3 and 6) did not show any signs of abuse. The family had also not previously been conspicuous to the authorities.