The parents of five young children are heading to federal prison for two years in a disturbing case of child neglect in Saint John.
The children who range in age from 6 months to 8 years were living in squalor in a home with fleas, human and animal feces on the walls and floors and several of the kids were suffering from tooth decay.
Child and Youth Advocate Norm Bosse spoke to reporters outside of the Law Courts building. He was asked about the sentence.
“In my opinion, justice has been served. As Justice Cloutier indicated there is a 5 year maximum for these counts,” says Bosse.
“We have to look at the sentence in light of what happened to the children, the 5 children they had at home”.
I asked Norm Bosse, NB Child and Youth Advocate, if this is one of the worst cases he has ever dealt with. pic.twitter.com/pEqnF4Bw24
— Tamara Steele (@tamarasteele1) April 18, 2018
In his written decision, Judge Cloutier noted the little handprints of children which suggest playing innocently on the bedroom walls with fecal matter.
Cloutier says equally disturbing was the food waste on the floor in a kitchen with a filthy refrigerator and nearly empty cupboards.
Joel Hansen is the lawyer for the parents in this case.
He questioned the actions of staff from the Department of Social Development.
“There were signs that they needed intervention right from the get-go,” says Hansen.
“They were missing school, all you had to do was look at them to see the teeth were bad. They claimed they visited through the winter. If they did, they let ‘er go.”
