A London, Ont. couple who held their nephew captive in a bedroom for two years has been sentenced to 18 months in jail, and two years’ probation.
The pair, who can’t be identified in order to protect the identity of the victim, pleaded guilty in May, to forcible confinement and failing to provide the necessaries of life. The pair was arrested in May 2014, in a case London police called “horrific.”
The Crown had sought jail time of less than two years, while the defence had asked for house arrest under two years.
During sentencing in court on Wednesday, the couple stood still with their heads bowed, CTV London’s Gerry Dewan reported.
The couple was told not to associate with their nephew.
Ontario Court Justice John Skowronski told the court he believed the couple was at a low risk to re-offend, but that he hoped their sentence will deter others from mistreating children. The aunt sobbed quietly as she was led away from the courthouse.
At the time of the couple’s arrest, police said a member of the public made an anonymous tip to the Children’s Aid Society, asking them to check on the welfare of a child at the home.
Police were called to enter the home after the occupants refused to answer the door.
Once inside, they found a malnourished 10-year-old boy in a master bedroom that was filled with garbage, feces and a urine-soaked bed.
The boy, who appeared “confused and upset” when authorities arrived, was taken to hospital and treated for malnutrition.
Police said they believed the boy had been held in the room for 18 to 24 months, and had been fed fast food twice daily. Authorities also believed that the boy had never attended school.
The child was later placed in foster care, where authorities say he thrived. In a victim impact statement presented to the court during the couple’s trial, the boy said that he was very sad and lonely during the time he was confined. Now in foster care, he enjoys attending school and playing soccer and video games.
The boy’s aunt and uncle had a nine-year-old daughter who was also placed in foster care after her parents’ arrest. The court heard Wednesday that she now has overnight stays with her parents.
The girl attended school and was never confined in the home, police said. She apparently was unaware that she had a cousin being held in the home.
In 2010, the boy came to Canada from South Korea to stay with his aunt and uncle who moved to Canada in 1997.
Police say the boy’s father didn’t have the money to support his son and sent him to live with relatives in Canada.
During the trial, the court heard that the aunt and uncle were under financial stress due to a struggling business at the time their nephew was under their care.
