Home / Crime and Justice / Mother Pleads Guilty to Starving 6-Year-Old Daughter to Death
Mother Pleads Guilty to Starving 6-Year-Old Daughter to Death
16 Nov
Summary
- Mother admitted to neglecting 6-year-old daughter, calling her a 'd***head'
- Child died from malnutrition and heart failure in July 2022
- Mother initially denied charges but later pleaded guilty to criminal neglect
In a heartbreaking case, a mother in Adelaide, Australia has pleaded guilty to the neglect that led to her 6-year-old daughter's starvation death in July 2022. Crystal Leanne Hanley, 49, initially vehemently denied the charges, claiming she was "not a perfect mum but I feed my kids." However, she broke down in court in May 2025 and pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal neglect, just a week before the case was set to go to trial.
The court documents revealed the depth of Hanley's callousness, including phone calls where she referred to her dying daughter as a "d***head" for being unable to walk. Prosecutors said Charlie Nowland was "so severely malnourished to the point where her body essentially collapsed, and her heart gave way." At the time of her death, the 6-year-old weighed just 18 kg and was found in a squalid, "uninhabitable" home.
Hanley's other children were also found to be in poor health and hygiene, with the family living in filth. Charlie's funeral in August 2022 was funded by the government, with her ashes scattered at her favorite spot along the Murray River. Hanley has not yet been sentenced, with the case adjourned for further submissions.
