A five-year-old girl weighing in at a shocking twelve stones, has been taken into care after being found living in filthy and squalid conditions. Her parents, James and Anne Cordona have been arrested.
The little girl, who was discovered along with her six-stone four-year-old sister, was so overweight she could not walk without gasping for breath. Her hair was matted with head lice, and her body was covered in dirt and insect bites.
The four year old was found drinking from a baby's bottle on a filthy mattress, naked apart from a soiled nappy.
Police, who entered the family home in Marietta, Georgia after neighbours complained of a disturbance, said the house smelt of urine and was 'infested with roaches, fleas, cobwebs and gigantic spiders'.
A local resident told reporters the children were never seen properly dressed or wearing shoes: 'The thing that bothered me most is the lack of clothes,' said Larry Willis,'They didn't wear normal kid clothes. They were often dressed in robe-type clothes or diapers. Quite often they would be outside playing in their diapers and barefooted. I don't remember seeing them in shoes, even in the cooler weather.'
Mrs Cordona was later released on bail whilst her husband remained in prison with a £3,000 bond. She told her local news station that she was innocent of any charges, claiming: 'I'm not guilty of anything.'
Animal welfare officers who entered the home found 18 animals inside. They removed five dogs, two cats, two turtles and nine birds.
What do you think?
Should these girls remain in care no matter what the outcome of any criminal charges?