Latest news with #TaiYasharahyalah


BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
Aunt raises funds for neglected Birmingham toddler's headstone
"There's just a stick in the ground at the moment - I want his life to mean something," Cassie Rowe says of her nephew's people will have seen the face of Abiyah Yasharahyalah on the news, after the three-year-old was found buried in the back garden of a house in Birmingham in late 2022. His parents buried him there after he died in was found to have been severely malnourished and had suffered from bone fractures, rickets, anaemia, stunted growth and severe dental parents, Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah, were jailed last year after being found guilty of causing their son's death. The pair had lived off-grid and created their own bespoke belief system, with Tai Yasharahyalah styling himself as the head of a fictional country for which the couple made their own their trial finished in December, Abiyah's body was not laid to rest until July, something which has been difficult for his and his mother lived with Ms Rowe, Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah's sister, for around six months from December 2016."He was just quiet, from what I saw he was just quiet and had a very timid nature," she said."He was just a normal boy, he liked his food and he used to like to go to soft play."She added: "The last time I saw him was just after he turned one." As time wore on, relations became strained between the sisters as Naiyahmi's behaviour started changing."It was difficult when she was living with me," Ms Rowe said."We kind of fell out a bit towards the end of her being with me. She got back in touch with her husband and her behaviour started changing again."When Naiyahmi moved out with Abiyah, she didn't leave a forwarding address and moved out quickly."She messaged me a few times over social media, but the messages were really weird," Ms Rowe said."I saw posts on social media of him, so I wasn't concerned." The 42-year-old said she hadn't been in Abiyah's life much over the last few years as his parents' beliefs meant they kept themselves to while living with her sister, she saw her as a normal first-time mother, stressing that she had no concerns about her parenting abilities at the 2022, her world came crashing down when she found out what had happened to her nephew."No-one expects anything like this to happen," she said."I think, as a family, I feel like I failed him in a way. All you do is think of everything you should have done or could have done." It has been a long and difficult wait, with trials and social service involvement, but on 1 July at Sutton Coldfield New Hall Cemetery, Abiyah was laid to rest."It was a small, intimate affair, with members of family on his mom's side," she said."No one came from his dad's."The service was organised by Birmingham City Council which owned the grave, before transferring its ownership over to Ms currently, Ms Rowe says there is just a stick in the ground marking young Abiyah's grave, and she is unable to afford the expense of a headstone for her Rowe has launched a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise enough for a gravestone for Abiyah, saying: "I feel like I just want to be able to give him something nice."I just want him to have the best send-off." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.


Daily Mail
04-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Boy, three, starved to death and buried in garden by off-grid vegan parents was failed by authorities who feared being branded 'discriminatory'
Police and social workers' fear of being seen as discriminatory may have contributed to the death of a starved toddler who was buried in a garden, a review has suggested. Abiyah Yasharahyalah, aged three, died in early 2020 from a respiratory illness, worsened by a 'restricted' vegan diet which caused severe malnourishment. A review into his parents' contact with authorities found there was a lack of curiosity about how their culture and lifestyle might have impacted on his wellbeing, warning that 'the safeguarding of children being impacted by harmful cultural practice is paramount'. Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah were jailed for a total of 44 years in December after being convicted of multiple charges including causing or allowing Abiyah's death and child cruelty by failing to provide adequate nourishment or summon medical care. The couple, both degree-educated, were obsessed with 'clean living' but lived in squalor after turning their back on society. Jurors heard they survived on only fruit, nuts and seeds having established a 'kingdom' in which they lived under their own religion and laws. The review said the case demonstrated the need for 'professionals' involved in safeguarding work such as police, health and social workers to 'be confident to ask questions about different cultures and belief systems without fear of being perceived as discriminatory'. It warned: 'Whilst professionals should have a good understanding of the communities they serve, if any family engages in cultural practices which are harmful to children, this must not be overlooked, and the safeguarding of children being impacted by harmful cultural practice is paramount.' The report by Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership, published yesterday, said Abiyah became 'invisible and lost from professional view' following a lack of 'exploration or curiosity' by health visitors. The Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020 likely contributed to the 'lack of follow-through activity', it added. Abiyah's birth in 2016 was registered, but he was not seen by medics or professionals after 2018 and his death in January 2020 went unnoticed. Officials only discovered the boy had died almost three years later, after police were asked to conduct a welfare check on the couple. By the time the couple were arrested in December 2022, Abiyah had been dead two years. The pair had been living off-grid in a squalid caravan in Somerset with another young child when a social worker came across a social media video posted by Tai in 2016 in which he referred to a child called Abiyah. Tai, 42, went on to admit that Abiyah was 'dead in a physical sense' but claimed he had been reincarnated. Those words led to the couple's arrests and soon after, Abiyah's body was exhumed at the couple's former address in Birmingham. Abiyah was found to have had severe malnutrition, rickets, anaemia and stunted growth thanks to his limited diet, as well as five fractures that would have caused terrible pain. The Yasharahyalahs' trial at Coventry Crown Court heard that while no cause of death was formally established, experts in court said starvation was probably to blame. Police visited the Handsworth property three times, including in February 2018 when Abiyah was alive. The review stated that with regard to this visit 'no details were recorded' about Abiyah, with his presence 'almost invisible on review of records'. Both the mother and father were said to be members of Royal Ahayah's Witness, described as an 'obscure religious movement based on the belief that mainstream Christianity is designed to subjugate the Black Community..' The review said their hostility towards those in authority caused the focus of professionals to be 'diverted or distracted' from the children's welfare while the couple's numerous name changes and aliases made it more difficult for agencies to track and share information effectively. It noted that Abiyah 'was only ever seen by a small number of professionals during his lifetime, and for a limited time only'. In March 2020, health visitor records said it had been noted at a safeguarding meeting that Abiyah had not been seen by them since his six-week assessment. Authorities showed a 'general lack of knowledge or assessment of the parents' belief systems', leading to an 'insufficient understanding about the impact' on his care, the review said. It added that his parents' behaviour 'often distracted or diverted professional attention' away from his safety and welfare. As part of the review, the views of both parents were sought. Tai refused to be interviewed but Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah, 43, agreed telling the review it was now 'hard to accept that my approach did not lead to the best outcomes for my child and that it took the court process to take me out of that bubble'. She said at the time, she did not think Abiyah needed help with any illness. An NSPCC spokesman said the review 'brings into sharp focus why it is crucial that professionals demonstrate curiosity and scrutiny.'


The Guardian
04-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Boy starved to death in Birmingham ‘was invisible to child services'
A toddler who was starved by his parents and buried in their garden was 'invisible and lost' to child services, a review has said. Three-year-old Abiyah Yasharahyalah, who lived with his parents in Birmingham, died in early 2020 from a respiratory illness. He was severely malnourished when he died and suffered from anaemia, rickets and stunted growth which, as well as the illness, were exacerbated by the 'restricted' vegan diet he was given at home. A local child safeguarding practice review, published on Wednesday, into Abiyah's death found that a lack of questions asked about how the family's lifestyle and culture could have had an effect on his health, stating 'the safeguarding of children being affected by harmful cultural practice is paramount'. The review also found that while the family were subject to visits, they were sporadic and short, noting that Abiyah 'was only ever seen by a small number of professionals during his lifetime, and for a limited time only'. At the parents' trial at Coventry crown court in December last year, the court was told that following Abiyah's death, his mother and father, Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah aged 42 and 43, performed an 'eight-day ritual' in the hopes that their son would 'come back' to life, before burying his body in the garden of their home in Handsworth in the centre of the city. The court also heard that police had visited the families residence three times, including in February 2018 when Abiyah was still alive, but that 'no details were recorded' about Abiyah, with his presence 'almost invisible on review of records'. The home was also visited by social workers on at least five occasions, but these visits were described as 'very limited, reinforcing that there was very little insight into (Abiyah's) existence, health or welfare'. The review found that authorities coming into contact with the child's family showed a 'general lack of knowledge or assessment of the parents' belief systems', leading to an 'insufficient understanding about the impact on his care.'. It added that his parents' behaviour 'often distracted or diverted professional attention' away from Abiyah's safety and welfare and that 'parental resistance of advice, support or authority ultimately resulted in (Abiyah) becoming invisible and lost from professional view.' Annie Hudson, chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, said that the report strongly evidenced 'the paramount importance of understanding what life is like for children, and not being distracted or diverted away by parental behaviour when considering children's safety and welfare. 'It is important to respect parents' faith and beliefs,' she added. 'However, as this review highlights, professionals must always be mindful of whether their views about parents, including their faith, race and culture, is inhibiting their capacity to be questioning and act together in a timely way to safeguard and protect children.' Tai, a medical genetics graduate and Naiyami, a former shop worker, left the body buried in the garden when they were evicted from the house in 2022. The couple adopted their own belief and legal system dubbed 'slick law' which incorporated elements of Igbo culture. They were described as shunning society, putting a sign on the door of their home which warned 'all governmental and non-governmental bodies' not to ring the doorbell or make 'any contact with any member of this house'. Tai and Naiyami, who were arrested in December 2022 whilst living in shipping container in Somerset, were sentenced to 24 years and 6 months and 19 years and 6 months for multiple charges including child cruelty, causing or allowing the death of a child, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.


The Independent
04-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Boy, three, starved to death by parents ‘had become invisible to authorities'
A three-year-old boy who was starved by his parents and buried in a garden became 'invisible and lost' from the sight of child services early in his life, a review has concluded. Abiyah Yasharahyalah died in early 2020 from a respiratory illness, worsened by a 'restricted' vegan diet which caused severe malnourishment, rickets, anaemia and stunted growth. A review into his family's contact with authorities has found there was a lack of curiosity about how his parents' culture and lifestyle might have impacted on his wellbeing, warning that 'the safeguarding of children being impacted by harmful cultural practice is paramount'. Abiyah's parents, Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah, aged 42 and 43, were handed lengthy jail terms in December with a judge saying they had both 'played a part in starving' their son when it would have been obvious he needed medical care. London-born Tai, a medical genetics graduate who also used the first name Tai-Zamarai, and former shop worker Naiyahmi shunned mainstream society and left Abiyah's body buried at their property in Handsworth, Birmingham, when they were evicted in March 2022. A two-month trial at Coventry Crown Court last year heard the couple had 'invented' a belief system featuring aspects of Igbo culture that Tai, who grew up in both Nigeria and Peckham in south-east London, adapted to form a legal system he called 'slick law'. The court heard that they lived off the generosity of others, occupying at one point a shipping container and at another a caravan in the Somerset area. A local child safeguarding practice review, published on Wednesday, noted that Abiyah 'was only ever seen by a small number of professionals during his lifetime, and for a limited time only'. According to records, he was seen by a health visitor in April 2016 shortly after his birth, and the following month for a check-up. There was some contact in 2018 with a local authority social worker in London and four visits to a children's centre in Birmingham, but the review said: 'Records of these contacts and interactions are very limited, reinforcing that there was very little insight into (Abiyah's) existence, health or welfare.' Abiyah's parents' trial heard police visited the Clarence Road property in Handsworth three times, including in February 2018 when Abiyah was alive. The review stated that with regard to this visit 'no details were recorded' about Abiyah, with his presence 'almost invisible on review of records'. Elsewhere, the review noted 'no exploration or curiosity' from the health visiting service, run by Birmingham Community Health Care NHS Foundation Trust, about Abiyah's mother's desire for a home birth with no medical intervention. In March 2020, health visitor records said it had been noted at a safeguarding meeting that Abiyah had not been seen by them since his six-week assessment, with appointments at the one and two-year marks since his birth not attended. He had also not received any routine immunisations. While a follow-up inquiry was planned, there was no record of why it never happened, although the review stated that the coronavirus lockdown which began that year likely contributed. The various authorities coming into contact with the child's family showed a 'general lack of knowledge or assessment of the parents' belief systems', leading to an 'insufficient understanding about the impact on his care, the review said. It added that his parents' behaviour 'often distracted or diverted professional attention' away from his safety and welfare. The review stated: 'Parental resistance of advice, support or authority ultimately resulted in (Abiyah) becoming invisible and lost from professional view.' The report included reflections that while social workers had been aware of the family's culture and parents' beliefs and lifestyle, they appeared not to have considered 'with detailed curiosity' the impact on Abiyah's safety and wellbeing, 'such as if indeed his overall needs were being met'. The review, published by Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership, warned that while navigating race, ethnicity, culture and beliefs 'can be challenging' for those working in child safeguarding, there is a need for them to be 'confident to ask questions about different cultures and belief systems without fear of being perceived as discriminatory'. Report author Kevin Ball added: 'If any family engages in cultural practices which are harmful to children, this must not be overlooked, and the safeguarding of children being impacted by harmful cultural practice is paramount.' Abiyah's mother opted to take part in the review, stating she had believed she was 'doing the right thing at the time' for her son based on her cultural beliefs but that she now wished she had done more research about diet and healthcare. She said it was 'hard to accept that my approach did not lead to the best outcomes for my child and that it took the court process to take me out of that bubble'. Among its recommendations, the review said workforce guidance should be looked at to ensure it 'supports effective assessment and intervention which safeguards those children that become hidden from professional sight and/or when parents choose to live an alternative, or more off-grid lifestyle'. Annie Hudson, Chair of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, said the case raised 'very serious questions' about local and national safeguarding systems. She added: 'The local child safeguarding review published today highlights important learning, including about how Abiyah became invisible and lost from the view and oversight of professionals. It evidences strongly the paramount importance of understanding what life is like for children, and not being distracted or diverted away by parental behaviour when considering children's safety and welfare. 'It is important to respect parents' faith and beliefs. However, as this review highlights, professionals must always be mindful of whether their views about parents, including their faith, race and culture, is inhibiting their capacity to be questioning and act together in a timely way to safeguard and protect children.' Partnership co-chairs James Thomas and Sue Harrison said: 'Protecting children out of professional sight is a real challenge, given the limits of statutory powers to ensure all children are regularly seen. Our partnership has made this one of our top strategic priorities to ensure that we do everything we possibly can to identify risk to those children who are out of sight.' Abiyah's parents were arrested on December 9 2022, leading to the discovery of their son's body five days later. Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah were sentenced to 24 and a half years and 19 and a half years, respectively, having been found guilty of perverting the course of justice, causing or allowing the death of a child, and child neglect.


The Independent
04-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Mother who starved boy, 3, on vegan diet admits her beliefs caused his death
A mother who starved her three-year-old boy on an extreme vegan diet and later buried his body in the garden has admitted for the first time that her beliefs caused his death. Abiyah Yasharahyalah died in early 2020 from a respiratory illness, worsened by a 'restricted' vegan diet consisting primarily of nuts, raisins and soya milk, which caused severe malnourishment, rickets, anaemia and stunted growth. A review, published by Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership on Wednesday examining his contact with authorities before his death, has revealed that Abiyah's mother believed she was 'doing the right thing at the time' for her son based on her cultural beliefs. However, she told the review that with the benefit of hindsight, she now wished she had done more research about diet and healthcare. She said it was 'hard to accept that my approach did not lead to the best outcomes for my child and that it took the court process to take me out of that bubble'. The report noted that she spoke about being firm that she made the right choices for her children and, at the time, did not believe he needed help with any illness. Abiyah's parents, Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah, aged 42 and 43, were sentenced to 24-and-a-half years and 19-and-a-half years respectively for causing their son's death and perverting the course of justice by burying his body in their back garden. The sentencing judge said they had both 'played a part in starving' their son when it would have been obvious he needed medical care. London-born Tai, a medical genetics graduate who also used the first name Tai-Zamarai, and former shop worker Naiyahmi shunned mainstream society and left Abiyah's body buried at their property in Handsworth, Birmingham, when they were evicted in March 2022. A two-month trial at Coventry Crown Court last year heard the couple had 'invented' a belief system featuring aspects of Igbo culture that Tai, who grew up in both Nigeria and Peckham in south-east London, adapted to form a legal system he called 'slick law'. The court heard that they lived off the generosity of others, at one point living in a shipping container and at another in a caravan in the Somerset area. During an interview, Naiyahmi revealed that their lifestyle was a way of having a more private life. She explained she was trying to 'protect [herself] from all the bad things in the world'. The report stressed that she had shared no information which indicated the relationship with her husband was any other than 'equal and caring'. It also revealed that Abiyah 'was only ever seen by a small number of professionals during his lifetime, and for a limited time only'. According to records, he was seen by a health visitor in April 2016 shortly after his birth, and the following month for a check-up. There was some contact in 2018 with a local authority social worker in London and four visits to a children's centre in Birmingham, but the review said: 'Records of these contacts and interactions are very limited, reinforcing that there was very little insight into (Abiyah's) existence, health or welfare.' Abiyah's parents' trial heard police visited the Clarence Road property in Handsworth three times, including in February 2018 when Abiyah was alive. The review stated that 'no details were recorded' about Abiyah, and he was 'almost invisible on review of records'. Elsewhere, the report noted there was 'no exploration or curiosity' from the health visiting service, run by Birmingham Community Health Care NHS Foundation Trust, about Abiyah's mother's desire for a home birth with no medical intervention. In March 2020, health visitor records noted at a safeguarding meeting that Abiyah had not been seen by them since his six-week assessment, with appointments at the one and two-year marks since his birth not attended. He had also not received any routine immunisations. While a follow-up inquiry was planned, there was no record of why it never happened, although the review stated that the coronavirus lockdown, which began that year likely contributed. The various authorities coming into contact with the child's family showed a 'general lack of knowledge or assessment of the parents' belief systems', leading to an 'insufficient understanding about the impact on his care, the review said. It added that his parents' behaviour 'often distracted or diverted professional attention' away from his safety and welfare. The review stated: 'Parental resistance of advice, support or authority ultimately resulted in (Abiyah) becoming invisible and lost from professional view.' Partnership co-chairs James Thomas and Sue Harrison said: 'Protecting children out of professional sight is a real challenge, given the limits of statutory powers to ensure all children are regularly seen. Our partnership has made this one of our top strategic priorities to ensure that we do everything we possibly can to identify risk to those children who are out of sight.' Abiyah's parents were arrested on December 9 2022, leading to the discovery of their son's body five days later. Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah were found guilty of perverting the course of justice, causing or allowing the death of a child, and child neglect.