WARNING: The details in this story are graphic and may be disturbing to some readers
Seven children and five dogs have been rescued from a south Edmonton home, where police allege they endured years of physical and emotional abuse and torture at the hands of three adults.
“Without question, this is one of the most disturbing cases of child abuse that our child protection investigators have ever seen,” EPS child protection section Staff Sgt. Ryan Tebb said in a statement.
“These children have been subjected to years of physical and emotional pain, dysfunction that no child should have to deal with in their lives.”
A southeast Edmonton couple and a third man police said was a family member have been arrested and face a total of 104 charges.
The investigation began three weeks ago. Police said on Friday, Dec. 1, members of the child protection unit began looking into reports of significant child abuse being perpetrated by a 34-year-old Edmonton father, his 37-year-old female common-law partner and a 25-year-old male family member.
The victims are allegedly the father’s six children and one grandchild, ranging in age from two and 13. The children were removed from the home the same day, police said.
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The following Monday, the children were interviewed at the Zebra Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, where they providing investigators with details surrounding allegations of prolonged physical and emotional abuse.
The Zebra Centre helps children and youth who have experienced abuse, supporting them through the investigative, justice and healing process.
WARNING: The following details are graphic
It was reported to police that the children were allegedly frequently beaten, strangled and malnourished for years.
It is alleged the father regularly subjected the children to punishments where they were forced to hold a painful physical position with their hands and feet on the floor for several hours.
“The accused father also used a shock collar to assault some of the children. The father also reportedly beat one of the family’s five dogs frequently with a broom handle and tortured it by poking it with a stick through the kennel cage,” a news release from EPS on Wednesday said.
On Thursday, Dec. 14, police went to the family’s south-side home and arrested the three adults.
The father and his common-law partner are each facing 45 charges each of aggravated assault, uttering threats, unlawful confinement, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and animal cruelty offences.
The other man is charged with seven counts each of assault with a weapon and assault.
The children are now safe and have been placed in foster care, EPS said, adding the dogs have also since been removed from the home.
The names of the three accused are not being released to protect the identities of the children. A publication ban is also in place, police said.
All three adults are set to appear in court on Friday.
The 37-year-old woman was granted bail late Friday afternoon.
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