Son and daughter jailed for neglecting 76-year-old sick mother in Tenerife
The son and daughter of a 76 year woman who died through “cruel neglect” in Tenerife have been handed a 17-year prison sentence.
Madrid’s Supreme Court upheld the sentence of “homicide through neglect” against the man and woman for failing to care for their ailing mother and denying “her most basic needs” of food and hygiene.
The pair lost their appeal against the 2015 ruling by a court in Santa Cruz, Tenerife and have been ordered to jail.
The case came to light in August 2015 when health workers were called to the home of Ana Delia after her death was reported by her son.
A team from Cecoes 112 found the woman curled up in a foetal position with visible signs of neglect, including ulcers all over her body from lying in the same position for long periods, and obvious starvation.
She weighed just 25 kgs (55 pounds).
READ MORE: Son arrested for starving 76-year-old mother to death in Tenerife
The woman, who suffered from osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, urinary incontinence and senile dementia had lived with her son and his wife and their daughter.
The son had agreed to share responsibility for the care of his mother with his sister.
The judge declared in court that the siblings had “totally ignored her most basic needs”.
The court heard that the siblings stopped providing their mother with food, neglected to keep her clean and failed to regular alter her position to avoid bed sores.
This resulted in her “foreseeable and avoidable death” on August 26th, 2015.
Under Spain’s Civil code, children have a legal obligation to care for their parents when they are unable to do so.
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Madrid’s Supreme Court upheld the sentence of “homicide through neglect” against the man and woman for failing to care for their ailing mother and denying “her most basic needs” of food and hygiene.
The pair lost their appeal against the 2015 ruling by a court in Santa Cruz, Tenerife and have been ordered to jail.
The case came to light in August 2015 when health workers were called to the home of Ana Delia after her death was reported by her son.
A team from Cecoes 112 found the woman curled up in a foetal position with visible signs of neglect, including ulcers all over her body from lying in the same position for long periods, and obvious starvation.
She weighed just 25 kgs (55 pounds).
READ MORE: Son arrested for starving 76-year-old mother to death in Tenerife
The woman, who suffered from osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, urinary incontinence and senile dementia had lived with her son and his wife and their daughter.
The son had agreed to share responsibility for the care of his mother with his sister.
The judge declared in court that the siblings had “totally ignored her most basic needs”.
The court heard that the siblings stopped providing their mother with food, neglected to keep her clean and failed to regular alter her position to avoid bed sores.
This resulted in her “foreseeable and avoidable death” on August 26th, 2015.
Under Spain’s Civil code, children have a legal obligation to care for their parents when they are unable to do so.
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