'Despicable': South Carolina Girl Found Severely Malnourished With No Education Records After Kindergarten

A 12-year-old girl weighing just 47lb was found so severely malnourished that she needed a feeding tube and a wheelchair, South Carolina authorities said, as they confirmed they could not locate any education records for her after kindergarten.

Chiquitta Dawkins, 43, has been charged with unlawful conduct toward a child following the discovery in Bowman, according to the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office.

The case, first reported by PEOPLE, is at an early legal stage and Dawkins has not been found guilty of any offence. Her relationship to the girl has not been confirmed. Details disclosed so far come from an arrest warrant, an incident report and statements from the sheriff's office.

What the Girl's Condition Revealed

Deputies went to a location in Bowman after receiving information that the girl was suffering from severe malnutrition, according to the sheriff's office, which cited the arrest warrant.

The office said she was underweight, had frail bones and limped because of her condition. It did not publish a medical assessment or explain how long she had been unwell.

The girl was taken to an emergency room on 2 October 2026. She later received treatment at Novant Health Hemby Children's Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to WLTX, which cited an incident report.

The broadcaster reported that she was on a feeding tube and used a wheelchair. Those details describe the extent of her immediate needs, while her longer-term condition and recovery remain unclear. PEOPLE cited the local report.

The sheriff's office said investigators could not locate education records for the child after kindergarten. It cited an incident report for that finding. The information cited in PEOPLE's report does not explain why investigators could not locate those records or whether she received any other instruction.

A missing school record is not, by itself, proof of what happened at home. The sheriff's office has reported severe malnutrition, frail bones and a limp, as well as education records it could not locate after kindergarten. Those are reported details, not a court finding.

Sheriff Leroy Ravenell used blunt language in a statement shared on 22 October. 'There are no reasonable people on this planet who could possibly think this is fine,' he said. He added, 'Leaving a child to become this sick, this malnourished is the utmost in despicable.'

The words convey the sheriff's anger, not a court's conclusion. The allegations still have to be tested through the legal process.

What Is Known About the South Carolina Girl Case

Dawkins was arrested and booked into the Orangeburg-Calhoun Regional Detention Center, according to reports cited by PEOPLE. A court granted her a $35,000 (approximately €31,200 and £26,100) surety bond on 21 October 2026, according to court records cited by WLTX.

WLTX reported that Dawkins must wear a GPS monitor and comply with pending family court orders and requirements set by the South Carolina Department of Social Services. PEOPLE reported those conditions.

The available reports do not establish whether Dawkins is the girl's parent or guardian. WLTX reported that an incident report listed Dawkins as a suspect at the same Bowman address as the girl's mother. That is an address link, not confirmation of a family relationship, and should not be treated as one.

It was unclear whether Dawkins had obtained legal representation. As of 24 October 2026, the South Carolina Department of Social Services and the sheriff's office had not immediately responded to PEOPLE's requests for comment. The report did not include a response from Dawkins or a lawyer.

The reports leave key questions unanswered, including how the girl came to need hospital treatment and what schooling, if any, followed kindergarten. The information made public so far does not settle those questions. Dawkins' charge remains an allegation.

The 47-pound figure, the feeding tube and the wheelchair do not explain how this happened. They offer a limited outline of the child's condition when she entered care, while investigators and the courts work through what came before.