A woman with a lifelong mobility impairment tragically died in Nyírbátor after months of neglect and starvation at the hands of her elderly parents. Beáta, who was 39 years old and bed-bound, weighed only 27 kilograms when she passed away.
Elderly parents starve and neglect daughter
According to the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Chief Prosecutor’s Office, Beáta’s parents failed to care for her basic needs despite her increasing dependence. By 2024, she could no longer move independently and was confined to the upper floor of the family’s two-storey house—a room lacking even a toilet facility. Unable to leave the room without help, Beáta’s parents neither fed nor hydrated her properly, nor did they ensure adequate hygiene, 24.hu reported.
Father died, mother denies guilt
The woman’s body became severely emaciated, and she developed infected pressure sores due to neglect, which ultimately led to her death amid excruciating suffering. The prosecutors have charged the mother with murder committed with extraordinary cruelty, requesting a 15-year prison sentence and a ten-year ban from public affairs, provided she admits guilt and waives trial.
The father of the victim passed away during the proceedings and will not face charges. The mother denies guilt, claiming she cared for her daughter.
Another tragedy
The case has drawn attention to similar incidents of abuse; another tragedy involved a couple who deliberately starved their two-and-a-half-year-old son to death, with the child weighing only eight kilograms at the time of his passing.
The parents did not provide adequate care and upbringing for their children. They regularly locked them up and left them alone for hours. They often beat their son, who was born with a severe physical disability, and starved him for at least four months before his death.
The mother received an 18-year prison sentence, and the father a 16-year prison sentence. Neither of them is eligible for parole. The sentence revoked both parents’ parental rights and permanently banned them from any occupation involving the education, supervision, or medical treatment of children under the age of 18.
