A couple starved their 3-year-old son to death and buried him in their garden after creating a ‘kingdom’ with their own belief system

The prosecution clarified that they kept their son’s body in his bed for eight days after he died of a respiratory illness. An ailment that was aggravated by an extreme vegan diet for an infant that caused suffered from rickets, severe malnutrition, anemia and stunted growth. After Abiyah’s death, her parents embalmed her body with frankincense and myrrh and buried it in the back of their house.

The ‘kingdom’ of the family

Before the events, the police had visited his residence on three occasions, given that The father published videos on social networks where his son appeared. In the house, the police recorded, through the camera worn by one of the agents, that a sign was hanging on the entrance door that said: “No entry, no access.” denied to all governmental and non-governmental agencies until further notice. “Do not ring the doorbell or contact any member of this house… We will notify the agencies involved in case of risk or emergency.”

Both adults had renounced their British citizenship and They had an “off-grid” existence and their isolation led them to try treat your child’s illness with garlic and ginger.

At the trial it was revealed that Tai Yasharahyalah had presented himself as the head of a fictitious country for which the couple made their own passports. Tai invented his own laws and claimed to have established his own kingdom. In fact, the British media BBC highlights that his wife and family called him “King”.

She fed her son legumes, fruits, cereals and plant products. And despite his training, Tai stated that he was not aware of the risks that this diet without supplements could entail.

Tai also told police that he had carried out an “eight-day ritual” in the hope that his son would “return”, and in the end decided to bury him in what they considered sacred ground. ‘The Guardian’ indicated that the man told the jury that he had adopted polygamy, but that he had rejected being omnivorous as part of his quasi-religious “kingdom.” Although he acknowledged that he had been “foolish” to follow his own legal doctrine.

“Each of you played a role in letting him die.”

your body was found nine months later The couple was evicted from the property in 2022. Tai, a medical genetics graduate, also used the first name Tai-Zamarai, and his wife worked in a shop and lived off the “generosity” of others. And they were arrested when they were living in a caravan in Somerset.

The trial exposed the abuse to which the infant was subjected for eight weeks. The three year old boy had a “catalog of injuries and illnesses” at the time of his death. Forensic tests after exhuming the body revealed bone fractures and severe tooth decay. Despite the evidence, the couple claimed to be innocent of the charges brought against them.

“I am sure that each of you played a role in letting him starve and not getting him medical attention when the need for it was obvious to you,” said the sentencing judge. Both parents ignored the seriousness of the situation. And the judge added: “When Abiyah died, you They did not call an ambulance or seek medical assistance in the hope that his life could be saved. “Instead, they took his body to the backyard and buried him there.”

The conclusions were that Abiyah died “as a result of deliberate neglect of him». Tai Yasharahyalah was sentenced to 24 and a half years in prison and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah to 19 and a half years at Coventry Crown Court.

“Their motivation for acting as they did was prioritize a distorted belief system». “Living with any consequences that arose from their adherence to these beliefs, including the disability or death of children,” the judge said.