In the United States, during an operation carried out by the police, 16 children kept in severe conditions in a house were rescued. It was reported that some of the children, whose ages range from 1.5 to 18, were unable to speak and had been subjected to severe physical and psychological neglect.
Medianews.az reports that the incident was recorded in the village of Hamden, Ohio.
According to the state attorney general Andy Wilson, police officers encountered children living in unsanitary conditions in a dilapidated house.
According to preliminary investigation results, the children spent most of the last four years in a room approximately 3.5 square meters in size. It was determined that the house was filled with garbage and human waste, and that one of the 18-year-old children could not even write his own name due to developmental delays.
Seven of the rescued children were hospitalized, and two in critical condition were transported by helicopter to a trauma center. Officials stated that one of the children was connected to an artificial respiration device in the intensive care unit.
Regarding the incident, charges of endangering children were filed against the parents Gary Sanders Jr., Gary Sanders Sr., Christina Sanders, and Elizabeth Sanders, each on 16 counts. The accused did not accept the charges, and the court set bail at $300,000 for each of them. Law enforcement agencies stated that the case is not related to human trafficking and is being investigated as a domestic crime.
During the investigation, it was found that the family frequently changed addresses in southern Ohio over the past 20 years, did not register the children for school, and kept them outside the official registration system. Currently, state authorities are continuing legal procedures to place all the children under temporary guardianship.
