THE PARENTS of five children who were forced to live in extreme squalor have been spared jail.
The parents of the children were arrested after the school they went to flag up weeks of absences, leading police to uncover the squalid conditions at the North Liverpool address.
They were spared jail at Liverpool Crown Court today after a judge heard of the mum’s horrific upbringing - including being raped as a child – while the dad was heard to have become “overwhelmed” with the situation.
One of the little boys rescued from the filthy house told the court that he “blamed himself” for the break-up of his family because he “should have gone to school”.
The defendants, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victims, will now “never care for their children again” after admitting five counts of child neglect.
Prosecutor Gerald Baxter said the living room of the house was almost bare of furniture while there was no food in the fridge, although a chest freezer was “well-stocked” with food.
Officers found some of the children, aged as young as two, in nappies while the oldest, still primary school age, was wearing just a pair of underpants.
The court heard their mum was asked why the house was in such a bad condition and told officers that she was suffering from depression and struggled with the housework.
She also claimed one of her children had suffered from diarrhea, which is why she had kept him off school.
The victims were all taken to Alder Hey hospital, where doctors found no signs of deliberately inflicted injuries.
Judge Robert Warnock said the defendants’ lack of previous convictions, mental health difficulties and the fact the offences involved “neglect rather than malice” meant he could spare them immediate custody.
They were each sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation activity days with the Probation Service.
