CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses domestic violence, child abuse and graphic depictions of animal abuse, and may be distressing to some readers.
Fourteen siblings aged between just a few months old to nearly adults have been rescued from what has been dubbed a “house of horrors” in Sydney, where they were allegedly tortured, fed pet-grade food, had to fight for basic amenities like toilet paper, and were never allowed to leave the home.
Police were alerted to the “atrocious” situation after the two eldest daughters, aged 18 and 19, began secretly recording videos and taking pictures of the alleged abuse in order to take it to authorities.
“We weren’t allowed to speak without permission,” one of the girls, whose identity remains a secret for her safety, said per The Daily Telegraph.
“No friends, no internet access. No clothing, no jobs, no life, no study.
“We looked after the kids, we cooked and cleaned.”
One police officer alleged that even the amount of toilet paper the children were allowed to use was being controlled.
The children were allegedly banned from attending school — meaning they had nothing to compare their situation to, or any friends to tell them it wasn’t normal.
After a while, the two eldest daughters were allowed out, only for prayers — but the 18-year-old said that, after she began asking too many questions, she was locked back in the house.
The sisters said that daily life involved being assigned children to care for and a chore list, as well as time set aside for religious study.
They allegedly lived in squalid conditions, with “pet-grade” meat for food, and limited amenities that the malnourished children had to fight over. They also alleged that any “bad behaviour” was met with physical abuse from their father.
One of the sisters alleged her father would torture her by allowing her to have pet cats, only to then hurt them in front of her.
“Dad got me a cat. But then he tortured me with that cat,” she alleged.
“It was something that really got to me. I loved cats so he would beat them, then make me parade the dead cats around. He tortured me with cats.”
What pushed the girls to find help was the mental health of their brother, who they feared may self-harm because he could not cope with the alleged abuse they were suffering.
“We thought well, if we leave it, do nothing, we were are going to end up in a mental health facility or one of us committing suicide,” one sister said.
“So it’s a choice that we needed to make and make fast otherwise something’s gonna happen, especially to my brother who wasn’t coping well at the time.
“We would stay up all night to make sure he was OK.”
The girls would secretly use the family’s iPad to research what constituted child abuse and if the situation they were in was legal. They said they began gathering evidence by way of recording what was happening to them — including their siblings allegedly being whipped.
This alleged assault prompted the girls to email a school for a welfare check online. And then police arrived, who interviewed the children and arrested the parents.
“Giving a statement to the police was probably the best part of it … I know it sounds strange saying you know doing statements for police was like a fun thing. But it was,” one of the girls said.
“Just that release to, like, tell the truth. To feel safe around them.”
The parents are now before the courts, and the children have been taken to a safe, secret location.
They are now enrolled in school, and have been supplied with clothing and groceries after officers involved held a charity drive for them. Police involved in the case said the children’s beds at home didn’t even have sheets.
The priority now is to try to keep all 14 children together as the state handles their welfare.
The two eldest siblings have expressed that they want to become the carers of the younger children to keep their family together, which police said has been a “challenge” in terms of dealing with government agencies.
“They have had to become parents when they are 18 and 19 and should be living their life. So it’s definitely hard for them,” one officer told The Daily Telegraph.
“They don’t complain though, they are the most amazing young ladies and we would do anything to support them.”
Help is available.
- If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
- If you’d like to speak to someone about domestic violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
- Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
