Moscow, April 17: Maxim Lyutyi, a Russian influencer, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for causing the death of his month-old son, Kosmos. The infant died from “pneumonia and emaciation” after being subjected to a bizarre dietary regimen where he was only fed sunlight based on the fictional lore of comic book hero, Superman.

Mirror reported that Lyutyi, who has a substantial following of nearly 60,000 on Instagram, had shared his unorthodox parenting methods on social media. These included a strictly vegan ‘prana’ diet for Kosmos, supposedly deriving sustenance from spiritual energy-infused foods like berries. Lyutyi also believed in the ‘sunlight diet’, an extreme practice akin to breatharianism, which posits that one can subsist solely on sunlight. US Shocker: 20-Year-Old Indian Student Killed by Unidentified Assailants in Boston, Body Found Inside Car Within Forest.

The infant’s mother, Oksana Mironova, was reportedly forbidden from breastfeeding her child due to Lyutyi’s extreme dietary beliefs. Despite her desperate attempts to secretly nourish her baby, Mironova was thwarted by Lyutyi’s unwavering adherence to his diet plan. US Shocker: Nurse Charged With Killing Two Patients Through Excessive Insulin Doses Confesses To Attempting to Murder 19 More People in Pennsylvania.

The tragic saga culminated in Kosmos’ untimely death due to malnourishment on March 8 last year. Although Lyutyi initially attempted to deflect blame onto Mironova, he eventually confessed to his role in his son’s death, citing negligence rather than malicious intent.

As the trial concludes, prosecutors are seeking a sentence of eight and a half years in prison for Lyutyi, accompanied by a £900 (Rs 94,000) fine. Mironova has been sentenced to two years of ‘correctional labour’. Lyutyi, now in prison, has reportedly changed his ways and is eating meat.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 17, 2024 02:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).