A 30-year-old man and 26-year-old woman are charged with four counts of ill-treating or neglecting a child under 18. A detective was hit with the stench of rubbish and urine as he entered the home of a South Canterbury couple being investigated for child neglect. Knives were found in the children’s bedrooms and the fridge contained rotten and mouldy food, Detective Mark Sewell told the Timaru District Court on Tuesday. Some food in the fridge was “unrecognisable” while the freezer and cupboards were empty, and food scraps littered the room, he said. The principal said if the child had attended early childhood education or school, they would have received intervention and help from the Ministry of Education.

Source: Stuff July 28, 2020 05:03 UTC