23.11.2025 11:10
A nightmare experienced by a teenage girl in the United States has come to light after years of hunger and abuse. The 14-year-old girl, who was starved by her family for 5 years, weighed only 16 kilograms when she was found.
A 14-year-old girl in Wisconsin, USA, was rescued from a caravan-like enclosed space where she had been tortured and starved by her family for five years. The severely malnourished girl weighed only 16 kilograms. She was in such bad shape that the rescuers mistook her age for 6. After being rescued, she was taken to the hospital and began to recover quickly. She is currently staying with a foster family.
FATHER'S CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS
According to a report by the New York Post, 47-year-old father Walter Goodman called emergency services on August 21, stating that his daughter was "autistic, had not eaten for days, and was in a coma-like state." However, the team that arrived at the scene found the young girl on the brink of death.
Hospital examinations revealed multiple organ failure, heart failure, pancreatitis, severe hepatitis, and advanced malnutrition.
SYSTEMATIC ABUSE WITHIN THE FAMILY
In addition to father Walter Goodman, stepmother Melissa Goodman, stepsister Savanna LeFever, and her boyfriend Kayla Stemler are also being charged in connection with the incident.
Court documents included messages indicating that a long-standing pattern of abuse had been established in the home. In a message to a friend, the father stated:
"If she misbehaves, I won't feed her today. I'm locking her in her room and watching her on camera."
Messages among family members also revealed hostile remarks towards the young girl. It was discovered that Stemler wrote that the girl was "punished with a belt for taking more than one bite," and the mother approved of this.
GIRL'S MOTHER IN JAIL
Documents also indicated that the young girl moved in with this family after her biological mother went to prison in 2020, but the family members were uncomfortable with this.
STARTING TO RECOVER AFTER RESCUE
Nurses at the hospital stated that the girl did not refuse to eat, but held back out of fear that "if I eat too much, my dad will get angry." The young girl, whose health is improving, has been placed with a foster family.