In Hawaii, Henrietta Stone, who was held responsible for the death of her 9-year-old granddaughter Shaelynn Lehano-Stone due to starvation, was not sentenced to prison by the court. The decision, which caused outrage in the public, was strongly criticized by organizations combating child abuse.

Instead of a prison sentence, Henrietta Stone, who caused her 9-year-old granddaughter’s death due to starvation in Hawaii, was placed on probation by the court.

The Hilo District Court ruled on Stone’s case on February 13, deciding not to give additional prison time to Henrietta Stone, who had been in custody since 2017.

The prosecution had requested a prison sentence of up to 20 years for the defendant. However, Stone accepted the charge of manslaughter on February 6, reaching an agreement with prosecutors. Previously accused of second-degree murder, the defendant accepted her guilt in exchange for a reduced sentence. Henrietta Stone had been granted custody of her granddaughter Shaelynn in 2016. According to prosecution reports, the young girl passed away due to undernourishment, acute pneumonia, and kidney infection. At the time of her death, Shaelynn weighed only 20 kilograms and her body was extremely weak and emaciated. Prosecutor Waltjen stated after the trial, “Shaelynn and our community deserved much better. But we will not allow this decision to hinder our fight to protect our children.” Investigations into the incident revealed negligence not just on the part of the grandmother, but also the child’s parents. Found in an unconscious state at Henrietta Stone’s home by emergency medical teams on June 28, 2016, Shaelynn was rushed to the Hilo Medical Center but could not be saved.

INTENTIONAL OBSTRUCTION The child’s parents, Kevin Lehano (57) and Tiffany Stone (41), were sentenced to ten years of probation after serving a two-year prison term in 2021. According to the Associated Press, family members were found to have deliberately prevented the child from eating. Alarms were installed on the refrigerators at the home and Shaelynn’s access to food was completely restricted. Documents cited by Hawaii News Now revealed that Shaelynn had been placed in foster care previously due to neglect by her family but had returned to her grandmother’s custody in 2011. In 2015, Henrietta Stone had requested that the child be removed from school to receive home education. Investigations found that Shaelynn had been subjected to physical and psychological abuse. The incident sparked a major debate on child abuse nationwide in the United States, and the court’s decision was met with outrage by the public. Child rights advocates called for stricter legal regulations to prevent such cases from occurring.