A tragic case of severe child abuse has resulted in criminal convictions for a stepmother and stepfather who systematically neglected and tortured an 11-year-old boy. The defendants, apprehended in December 2025, deliberately withheld food from their victim over a five-month period, causing him to lose significant body weight and resort to consuming non-edible items out of desperation. The case highlights serious failures in child protection systems and raises critical questions about monitoring high-risk household situations.

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