PONTIAC, Mich. – A Michigan mother became physically ill on the witness stand when she was presented with photos of her malnourished son, during a court hearing related to child abuse allegations against her and her husband.

The woman, who cannot be named to protect the child’s identity, was shown images of her 5-year-old son during a preliminary hearing on Thursday. The boy was found severely malnourished and near death in his family’s mobile home in May. The mother began vomiting and had to leave the courtroom to compose herself before returning to testify about the neglect and abuse her son suffered.

Authorities testified that they found the boy lying in his own urine and feces, and that he was so emaciated that his spine and ribs were visible. The child, who weighed only 24 pounds at the time, was hospitalized in critical condition. His father faces criminal charges and has pleaded not guilty.

The mother’s attorney argued that she had also been a victim of the abuse and was powerless to defy her husband, who restricted her contact with the outside world and monitored her conversations. The defense attorney emphasized that the mother was a victim of domestic violence and coercion and urged the court to consider the full context of the abuse.

The judge ultimately upheld the charges against the mother, stating that the severity of the boy’s condition and the evidence presented against her justified the decision. The child has since been placed in foster care, and the mother remains in custody pending trial.

The 5-year-old boy found malnourished and near death in a Michigan mobile home, faced his mother in court as she was shown photographs of his condition, causing her to become physically ill on the witness stand. The father faces criminal charges and has pleaded not guilty, while the mother’s attorney argued that she was also a victim of abuse and coercion. The mother remains in custody pending trial, and the child has been placed in foster care.