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In Houston, police officers found three neglected children in an apartment
Photo: Mark Mulligan / AP
In the US state of Texas, police officers found three neglected children aged between seven and 15 and the skeletal remains of their nine-year-old brother in an apartment.
As reported by the Washington Post, the 15-year-old boy contacted the authorities and told them that the body had been in the next room for a year.
When Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and his colleagues arrived on site, he found that the remains "had been there for a long period of time."
The minors told the officials that their parents had not lived in the apartment for "a few months".
"Heartbreaking"
Gonzalez had "never seen such a scenario" in his career.
It is "heartbreaking", and his colleagues are deeply shaken.
Gonzales said the surviving children appeared to care for each other, with the elder looking after the younger two.
The younger children had physical injuries and were clearly malnourished.
The apartment had no electricity for a long period of time, and the three apparently received support from neighbors who bought food for the children.
The parents of the children were found on Sunday evening, as Gonzales announced in a tweet.
Accordingly, the couple was released after the questioning.
The investigation continues, however, and no charges were initially brought.
The Texas Family Welfare Department is now taking care of the three minors.
"To ensure the safety of the children, the Ministry of Family Welfare has applied for custody of the three boys," said a spokeswoman.
How it came to this is completely unclear.
The family already has a police history.
However, there was no current investigation.
It is also unclear why the neighbor who provided the children with food did not inform the authorities.
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