Family Solicitors

The mother of a neglected five-year-old boy and her partner are due to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court in April after pleading guilty to child cruelty.

The youngster came to the attention of the authorities after he ran away from home and was found by police after his “frantic” mother had contacted them, the Daily Mail reports.

Police officers uncovered rotting food, dog faeces and refuse all over the boy’s home – and he was found to have exposed roots in some of his milk teeth and other teeth had developed abscesses and needed extracting. The court was told that there was no toothbrush “suitable for his use” in the house.

York Crown Court was told that the boy’s school had warned the mother and her partner about the boy’s welfare – he had no idea what a bath was for, the court heard, and no idea how he should be washed.

There were also no toys in his bedroom and it is reported that his education standards and speech were considerably below average for his age.

Social services removed the boy from his home and placed him in foster care, where he is now thriving, according to York Press.

However, he told his foster mother, “Santa doesn’t come to my house. I don’t know why, because I have been good.”

The boy’s foster mother said that he no longer mentions his home or family – and he is described as “a lovely little boy, very chatty, open and likes to please people”.

The court heard that the boy’s 43-year-old mother neglected him between September 1, 2013 and August 2014, while her 42-year-old partner had neglected him between March and August.

The couple had recently moved into the property where the boy was living and the court was told his mother had been suffering from depression, but was a “caring and loving parent”.

The mother received no support from the boy’s father and was having problems caring for her son and working in a shopping centre, the court heard.

The mother and her partner both pleaded guilty to two charges of child cruelty by not seeking dental care or providing suitable living accommodation.

The court adjourned and will assess reports relating to the mother’s mental health.

Her partner has not yet submitted any mitigation to the court.

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