Vegan mother's 30-year sentence may be cut

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Margaret HardingThe Arizona RepublicAug. 4, 2007 12:00 AM A Scottsdale mother who blamed her malnourished children's condition on their vegan diets may have her 30-year sentence reduced.The judge who handed down the sentence to convicted child abuser Kimu Parker said the penalty required by state sentencing guidelines was "clearly excessive.""The court believes, based on what I heard this morning, that you have seen the error of your ways. You are capable of being a good parent," Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Thomas O'Toole told Parker at her sentencing Thursday. Parker, 37, was charged with three counts of child abuse after her three children were found malnourished and emaciated. She was sentenced to 10 years for each count. County Attorney Andrew Thomas said that his office would "strongly oppose

any attempt to reduce this sentence.""Thirty years in prison is entirely appropriate for a person who almost starved to death three defenseless children," Thomas said.Parker's children, ages 3, 9 and 11 at the time of Parker's arrest in April 2005, weighed 12, 29 and 36 pounds, respectively. Typical weight for a 3-year-old child is 33 pounds; for a 9-year-old, 69 pounds; and an 11-year-old, 87 pounds. The father, Blair Parker, is scheduled for a court hearing Aug. 23 on child-abuse charges.The couple told police their children's low weights were because of their vegan diets. Vegans do not eat meat, fish, poultry or other animal products, such as milk and cheese. Matt Prescott, manager of vegan campaigns for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said a healthy vegan diet would not result in malnourishment."It's disturbing. Feeding your kids a healthy vegan diet and starving them are apples and oranges," Prescott said.

"One is a good way to set kids up for a lifetime of proper health, and the other is simply child abuse."O'Toole told Parker's attorney, Jaime Hindmarch, to submit a letter requesting clemency within 30 days. According to a court transcript, O'Toole said he would "do what is necessary" on his end.Hindmarch did not return calls seeking comment. O'Toole said that Parker was "misguided" but not criminal."The evidence at the trial showed that you acted in good faith in your belief that you were properly raising these children," O'Toole said before delivering the sentence. "You did not act with criminal intent. However, you did act recklessly in your grossly misguided sense of how to raise and properly nurture your children."The couple was taken into custody in April 2005 after their youngest child, Zion, went to the hospital for malnutrition, hypoglycemia, dehydration and possible seizures."There's no doubt you love your children,"

O'Toole said. "Unfortunately, they were at the mercy of your bizarre philosophy of diet and so forth." Peter H

 

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