Guest guest Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Does anyone know the outcome of this trial? Vegan Couple Set For TrialBy NYNewsday.com March 10, 2003, 12:06 PM EST Jury selection is due to start on Tuesday in the trial of a Queens couple accused of starving their first child nearly to death by feeding her a strict vegan diet. Prosecutors allege that Joseph and Silva Swinton, both in their early 30s, failed to give essential infant nutrition to their daughter, Ice, before authorities took custody of her in November 2001, when she was 15 months old and weighed half the average weight of a child her age. They were initially each charged in April with reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. But prosecutors later added a new charge of first-degree assault against both, which means they each face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. Authorities said the couple failed to feed their child breast milk or infant formula. Instead, the couple gave her a vegan diet of ground nuts, fresh squeezed juice, herbal tea, beans, cod liver oil and flaxseed oil. Ice and a brother born in July 2002 are in foster care, authorities said. The husband and wife followed vegan dietary practices, prosecutors said, meaning they ate no meat, dairy, fish or eggs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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