How could society let this happen?
CHILDREN FOUND LIVING IN UTTER SQUALOR
Court Reporter THIS is the shocking scene of utter filth where children were found living in gut-wrenching squalor with their disgusting parents.
The Tyneside home was in an appalling state, caked in faeces and rotting food and infested with flies.
Astonishingly, the couple who lived in the ‘pig sty’ both had decent jobs which involved them having hygiene and health and safety certificates at work.
When the authorities turned up at their home, they found the children riddled with head lice and a police officer said the smell “made his eyes water”.
The mother, in her 30s, had the audacity to say she ‘did a bit of tidying up this morning’ when challenged about the state of her home while the dad, who is in his 40s, confessed they had lived like that for six months.
Newcastle Crown Court heard the youngsters have been left with long term issues including learning difficulties due to the neglect they suffered.
Now the parents – who cannot be named for legal reasons – have been locked up for child neglect.
Judge Stephen Earl told the pair: “Frankly, how they managed to survive in your care is somewhat in question.
“It is appalling that you lived in this situation, never mind brought up children in it.
“This is protracted neglect over a lengthy period of time.”
Defence barristers told the court that the parents had been struggling with their own issues at the time and their situation got out of hand and urged the judge to suspend the prison sentences.
But he refused, saying: “Such that the message is sent appropriately that children are probably one of the greatest assets that a society has.
“The way in which these children were ill-treated and neglected deserves an immediate custodial sentence.”
Judge Earl questioned how those who saw the children every day outside of their home did not raise any concerns.
He said: “Didn’t school notice that these children were in an appalling state?
“It is reported that these children had had lice, serious head lice for two years or more.”
The judge said it ‘beggars belief’ cautioned by police over the that their plight was not brought to state of their home in the past but the attention of the authorities failed to learn their lesson. earlier. Police were called to the address,
He added: “I have serious in North Tyneside, after Children’s concerns about how we allowed this Services discovered the shocking to slip through our society’s net.” conditions the children were living
The court heard the mother of the in. youngsters admitted she could not Photographs taken inside the remember when the bathroom was house showed the state of squalor last cleaned and accepted her the children had been subjected to, kitchen facilities deserved to be with rubbish and clothes piled up in “condemned”. every room.
The couple had both been The first officer to arrive at the Judge Stephen Earl scene immediately took the children into protective custody when he saw their state. Prosecutor Daniel Penman told the court: “He described an overwhelming smell of urine and rotting food from the kitchen. “The carpet in the hall was thick with dog hair, such that its original colour could not be determined. “The downstairs toilet was heavily stained with faeces and there was fecal matter next to the toilet. “The smell was so strong it made his eyes water. “There was a lot of flies in the house. “He also inspected the kitchen and found it to be full of rotting food. There was faeces on the floor and soiled men’s underwear. “In the living room, again, there was rotting food and faecal matter on the floor.” The court heard the children’s hair was crawling with lice and eggs and had been in that state for up to three years. Both parents were jailed for two years each after admitting child neglect.