Young girl taught how to chew in foster care after 'utterly chaotic' upbringing

Four-year-old described as the 'most traumatised child' she had looked after, by foster carer

The case will be reviewed by a judge in the Family Division of the High Court in London (Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

A four-year-old girl had to be taught how to chew her food by foster carers because of her "utterly chaotic" upbringing by her parents, a High Court judge said.

Described by her foster carer as as the “most traumatised child" she had looked after, the youngster would go for days without speaking, Mrs Justice Gwynneth Knowles heard.

The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, would also detach herself from reality and dissociate in the persona of "Princess Sparkle", a child psychologist told the judge.

This was an "imaginary safe figure" the girl used to "avoid emotional pain", they said.

Details about the child were published by the judge following a private hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London.

She said the girl had been at the centre of a dispute between her parents, as she made a number of decisions relating to the youngster's welfare.

Council social services bosses had begun separate litigation which might see the girl permanently removed from the care of her parents, she indicated.

"(The girl's) very experienced foster carer... said she was the most traumatised child she had cared for," said Mrs Justice Knowles in her ruling. "On first being placed, (she) would go for days without speaking and did not know how to eat solid food. She had to be taught how to chew food."

The psychologist had told of the girl's "unusual psychological presentation".

Mrs Justice Knowles said the psychologist's evidence about the girl's "dissociation into the persona of Princess Sparkle" was "striking and persuasive".

The judge said "Princess Sparkle" was "hypothesised" to be an "imaginary safe figure" the girl turned to when upset in order to "detach herself from and to avoid emotional pain".

She added: "Without ascribing blame to one parent or the other, there is ample evidence of the utterly chaotic environment to which (she) was exposed throughout her life by both her parents."

Mrs Justice Knowles said the girl's father came from Iran and her mother from Russia. The pair were separated.

The judge indicated that the girl had lived with her parents in Spain.

Her parents had a "tempestuous relationship", she said.

The girl's father claimed that he met her mother when he "engaged her services as a prostitute". Her mother denied his claim.

She accused him of being a drug dealer who was "physically and sexually" violent.

The girl had travelled to England with her mother some months ago. The girl's father wanted her to be returned to Spain.

Social workers became concerned and the girl had been placed into foster care pending decisions about her long-term future.

Mrs Justice Knowles refused his application.

Additional reporting from agencies