A 6-year-old girl, allegedly confined to the same room since birth, was found by police in Brazil. The child was so severely neglected that she couldn’t speak and was only given liquids to eat, officials said.
The police discovered the “bewildered” girl after receiving a tip-off. She was rescued from her parents’ custody and the couple was arrested, according to Brazilian news outlet Universo Online.
Police were dispatched to the property in Sorocaba, Sao Paulo state, for a welfare check.
They found the child in a locked, dark, grimy room. It’s believed she had spent her entire life there.
A heart-wrenching photo reveals a stained wall with the imprint of the girl’s back, and a worn-out teddy bear.
The girl hadn’t received any vaccinations and couldn’t even speak, the police found out. Child protection counselor Ligia Guerra stated: “The girl was very apathetic and dazzled by everything.”
She further noted that the girl’s hair was “matted” and appeared as if it had “never been washed”.
Guerra also mentioned that the child hadn’t eaten anything that day. The police then disclosed that she had been raised on a diet consisting solely of liquids.
The girl is thought to have communicated with counselors and police officers through unconventional sounds.
After being rescued from the home, the young girl was taken to a hospital for a medical check-up before being transferred to a children’s facility. Her parents were arrested and charged with unlawful detention, and they are currently in police custody.
Police Chief Renata Zanin stated that the mother “cannot grasp the gravity of the situation”.
She further noted that the heartless parent “gave evasive answers” during questioning and “showed no remorse whatsoever”.
