Police centered their radar on the home of Joshua and Tracy Dechant after a person from their neighborhood called in. According to the caller, they had witnessed a 15-year-old boy, unclad and running in the cold.

This was when the temperature read at a single digit, so it was very cold. Still, this child was forced by his stepfather to serve punishment in the cold.

Eyewitness told the police that after sighting the child, they had invited him into their home. Upon entry, they offered him food and he ate hungrily. When the police visited their Dechant family home, they noticed two teenage boys, both malnourished.

Per NBC Philadelphia, the twin boys confessed to the ill treatments they had had to endure. This included a lack of food and water, and being forced to stay naked outside and inside their home. They were also ordered to sleep on the bare floor with only one blanket to share.

Shockingly, their abuse was recorded by Joshua and Tracy Dechant and the authorities were able to recover surveillance evidence. The boys were immediately rushed to a hospital and as expected their diagnosis was disheartening.

They were greatly underweight, weighing less than 53 and 55 pounds respectively. Meanwhile, for their age, the average age was around 140 pounds. They had also suffered limited contact for a year which affected their mental health.

Following investigations, police realized that the boys had a biological sister who had suffered the same fate. However, she left the home around April 2023. The couple are now being held with a $200,000 bail on each of them. They are due to appear in court on February 27.

#Clique, what are your thoughts?