British Court Charges Parents Of 7-Year-Old Girl Who Died Of Starvation

London, England (AHN) - The mother and stepfather of a 7-year old Birmingham girl who died of starvation were summoned by a court to face neglect charges.

ITV News identified the victim as Khyra Ishaq. Her mother, Angela Gordon, 32, and stepfather, Junaid Abuhamza, 29, appeared before Handsworth magistrates on Monday and are under court custody.

The case arose from reports by a neighbor in Leyton Road that there were children who grabbed bread crumbs thrown to birds. The West Midlands police, however, declined to confirm starvation was the cause of the girl's death.

But the police confirmed a seven-year old girl was brought to the hospital on Saturday, who was declared dead upon arrival. The police was called 5 a.m. Saturday following complaints from Khyra of breathing difficulty. The officers found six malnourished children on a mattress on the floor. They were taken to the Birmingham Children's Hospital. The five are still confined for treatment.