The five–year-old boy who died living in squalor.

It’s a tragic case on all accounts.

A five-year-old boy dead.

A mother in tears while facing charges that carry a five-year maximum penalty.

An eight-year-old boy having endured living in conditions none of us could imagine.

And this in suburban Melbourne.

A 42-year-old woman faced the Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday. She pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless conduct endangering serious injury and failing to register the birth of a child.

Her son – a five-year-old boy died after cutting his foot on rubbish inside their house.

But this wasn’t an ordinary home.

The state of this house was described in court as being in “extreme squalor”.

“The inside of the house was filled with rubbish and debris throughout every room, consisting of general household waste, rotting and spoilt food, mould, faeces, broken furniture and household items, as well as soiled bedding and clothing.”

“A foul odour emanated from the premises and an infestation of rodents and insects was evident.”

The Age reports:

Photographs from inside the house, taken by police and tendered to the court, show rooms filled with shin-high piles of waste and junk and of food, mould and faeces, splattered across furniture and appliances.

The boy cut his foot on a cat food tin – a three-centimetre gouge to his big toe on August 1, 2012.

His eight-year-old brother described him as being ‘very very sick’ as crying out for help.

Several days after the injury, his mother took him to an ambulance station – where he was noted as having grey mottled skin. The court heard that he had a headache and a filthy bandage wrapped around his toe when he was treated.

The boy died in hospital.

Toxicologist reports are yet to determine the manner of his death.

Both his parents – out on bail – face the same charges.

It seems a tragic case on all accounts. The Age reports that:

“According to court documents, the boy who died was born at home, was never immunised or enrolled in school or kindergarten and only really had contact with his immediate family members. Neighbours told police the boy was quiet and withdrawn, had poor speech and always appeared dressed in clothing that was inappropriate for the weather.

The boy’s father was an electrical designer at the time of his son’s death, documents say, while his wife was the primary carer of the children.

The Coroner is also investigating the case later this year. The father appears in court next month.

We will keep you updated.

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