Fatmagül ASLAN, Zehra Zerrin ERKOL, Serdar TIMUR, Hakan BULUT

Chronic abuse of the three brothers and negligence up to the level of cachexia – case report

In this study; a case about three brothers exposed to long-lasting severe neglect and abuse up to cachexia and severe depression will be presented and discussed in the light of the literature data. It was learned from the statements of the suspect, mother and child victims that father worked at night shift, that a distant relative who began to live at their home to help with the expenses of the house for the last three years, had sexual and emotional relationship with the mother during the day, that although this person act well in the beginning but in time he left the three children hungry for several days in order to punish, hang them to the ceiling from their hands and feet, used physical violence like punch, beatings, extinguished illuminated cigarettes in their bodies, made skin burns by using a lighter and that father and mother turned a blind eye even knowing all that for a long time. It was reported that one day a second suspect who was brought by this suspect and stayed at home with them for two months, took the children into the bathroom with the purpose to wash them and that he applied anal sexual abuse to the younger child at the age of three years. In the examination it was determined that the four years old youngest brother was highly cachectic, unable to stand, unable to sit, lied constantly, had difficulties in talking, had decreased skin turgor and tone, was cachectic, had bruises, burns, scars in different parts of the body at different ages and an old fracture in the mandible was seen in the radiography. The 9-year-old middle brother testified likewise and strained and swollen appearance of abdomen, growth retardation, extensive bruising also on both cheeks and at the rear of the right thigh were determined in the examination. Ecchymosis and hematoma in both cheeks and left auricula was detected on the 11-year-old oldest brother. After a detailed evaluation it was found that the child was admitted to the hospital due to a fall, four years ago, due to activity and attention disorders six and four months ago. It is remarkable that child abuse and neglect incident was not detected in the examinations done at the hospital before

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