A London couple has been sentenced to 18 months jail each after pleading guilty to keeping their nephew locked in a bedroom for up to two years.
They also received two years of probation each.
Sentencing was put off in July following an emotional day in court where the graphic details of the case were read along with victim impact statements.
The Crown has asked for jail time for the couple, while the defence is seeking house arrest.
The couple was arrested in May, 2014, after a member of the public made an anonymous tip to the Children’s Aid Society.
Police discovered a malnourished 10-year-old boy in a room filled with garbage, feces, and a urine–soaked bed.
Police said they believed the boy had been held in the room for 18 to 24 months and had been fed fast food, only twice a day.
They said they also believed the child had never attended school.
The boy was placed in foster care after being treated for malnutrition. Authorities say he thrived in his new environment.
The aunt and uncle also had a nine-year-old daughter who also placed into foster care after her parents’ arrest.
Police said the girl had been allowed to attend school and had never been confined in the home.
It appeared that the girl was unaware that she had a cousin being held in the home.
The boy came to Canada from South Korea in 2010 to visit the aunt and uncle, who moved to Canada in 1997.
Police later learned the boy’s father had not been able to financially support his son and made the decision to send him to relatives in Canada.
(With files from The Canadian Press)
CTV's Gerry Dewan has details from court:
