A religious couple in America has been charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse for allegedly allowing their 10-month-old daughter die after refusing to seek medical help.
Child Protective Services filed a neglect lawsuit against Tatiana Fusari and Seth Welch on Monday and if convicted, they are getting life sentence without parole.
Daily Mail UK reports that 10-month-old Mary was found on Thursday by first responders with sunken eyes and cheeks and confirmed dead in her crib. A Friday autopsy revealed she died of malnutrition and dehydration due to neglect by her parents.
The parents admitted noticing their daughter was skinny and underweight as early as a month before her death but did not seek medical attention for her “for fear of having Child Protective Services called, lack of faith and trust in medical services and religious reasons,” court documents reveal.
The report also confirms that before Mary’s death, Seth had constantly expressed his distrust of doctors, dismissing them as ‘priesthoods of the medical cult’. Mary is the couple’s third child.
He revealed in a Facebook post that he had refused to let his children get vaccinated because ‘God is sovereign over disease’.
Seth, on the day that Mary died, wrote on Facebook:
Heart is about shattered right now.
Woke up to Mary dead in her bed this morning – this evening had our children removed and placed on “no contact” because Tati and I are the worst parents ever – Thankfully they are with grandma and grandpa
Just numb inside right now. And I’m really enjoying the loving embrace of an isolation cell from the cops and government employees who keep assuring me “they are only here to help”.
A video clip of the shocked look on the faces of the couple while the judge read them their charges has since flooded the internet.
Watch Below:
