Alleged child abuser released on bail – twice

Allegations against teen boys include starvation and torture

TORONTO – The extreme torture allegations are shocking and grotesque.

Two teenage boys were allegedly treated as “subhuman” by their stepmom and father.

It’s alleged by the Crown that they were abused in unspeakable ways, burned with “hot knives,” almost starved, deprived of sleep and had their genitals clasped by pliers.

The new immigrants, sponsored by their stepmom in 2016 to come to Canada, were isolated from all family members.

According to allegations, the victims were hung upside down by their ankles for hours with nylon rope, multiple times over years. They were beaten with cables, barbecue tongs and hammers and one teen had his feet submerged in scalding hot water, causing the skin to peel off once he removed them from the bucket.

The parents, who face charges, and the alleged victims cannot be legally identified.

Sources told the Toronto Sun the injuries inflicted on the teens over three years are “lifealtering” and they have bruises, marks and scars on nearly every inch of their bodies.

The stepmom and her husband face more than 60 charges. The 40-year-old father remains in custody while the stepmom has been freed on bail — twice.

The accused woman was initially granted bail by Justice Joseph Bovard in June. Justice David Fairgrieve detained her the next month.

However, she was freed again on bail Oct. 23 by the Ontario Superior Court.

The Crown attorney’s office is considering appealing to Ontario’s highest court to rescind that decision and put her back in jail.

The man, 40, has been charged with multiple assault charges, forcible confinement and sexual assault. He and his wife, 36, who faces similar, though not as many charges, will be back in court Nov. 12.

She allegedly blamed the two stepsons for causing her to have a miscarriage and the abuse intensified afterwards.

One son’s weight loss was so noticeable — 30 pounds — that his school referred him to children’s aid officials. He allegedly was ordered to lie “and say he was happy and nothing was wrong.”

At 17, he was 5-1 and 111 pounds, while his 13-year-old brother was 4-6 and weighed 72 pounds. Both were beneath the third percentile of weight — meaning 97 per cent of all boys their age weighed more.

The Catholic Children’s Aid Society investigated but couldn’t confirm there were problems.

The son told police he was only fed table scraps, Lipton soup or white bread slices. He and his brother were force-fed “countless amounts” of coffee to limit their sleep to two hours a day, according to allegations.

Sources said the cupboards were found locked. The 17-year-old escaped from the house on June 11 and notified police, leading officers to charge his father and stepmom.

The stepmom, now 36, has no prior criminal record and has worked several years as a personal support worker for seniors without any complaints.