Oh Texas

[Gob]

Police in the US state in Texas have rescued eight children from "horrific abuse" including a two-year-old who was chained to the ground in a garden.

Authorities were called to a home in San Antonio early on Friday morning after a neighbour reported hearing a child crying for a long time.

A three-year-old girl was also found tied to an outside door by a dog lead.

Police found six more children alone inside the home, ranging in age from 10 months to 13 years old.

Police arrested the parents of six of the children when they arrived home later on Friday.

"It's sickening," Bexar County Sheriff's Office spokesman James Keith told the San Antonio Express News.

"To call this horrific would be an understatement. If it wasn't for our deputies and this caller who tipped us off, we know that this could have had an even worse outcome."

The three-year-old girl had a broken arm and was treated at a local hospital. A state agency is now caring for the children.

Police are searching for the parents of the other two victims

[Lord Jim]

This is horrific...no one would attempt to justify this...

Does anyone have an argument they'd care to make in favor of this?

Police are searching for the parents of the other two victims

Shoot on sight...

[RayThom]

Absolutely shocking. The depths of human depravity. These scumbags have forfeited their rights to parenting. They need to go directly to Hell -- if it exists.

[Burning Petard]

But Ray, they are already in Texas.

Snail gate

[Crackpot]

This is horrific...no one would attempt to justify this...

Not so fast Dave might weigh in on this.

Police are searching for the parents of the other two victims

Shoot on sight...

What evidence according to the article is there that they are complicit in this?

[rubato]

According to some, if we just brought back school prayer and the pledge of alliegence this kind of thing wouldn't happen.

Yrs,
Rubato

[MajGenl.Meade]

If that is supposed to be a swipe at me, I assumed you missed the point, rubato. The issue (in another thread) was clearly stated as not being causative but is perhaps correlative. Mind you - I accept that you may intend your remark to be addressed to those who do think it is causative and they are, of course, preaching a logical fallacy.

[BoSoxGal]

This is horrific...no one would attempt to justify this...

Not so fast Dave might weigh in on this.

Police are searching for the parents of the other two victims

Shoot on sight...

What evidence according to the article is there that they are complicit in this?

Under the child protection laws in many states, parents may be liable for the actions of caregivers if a case can be made that neglect was involved in the choice of caregiver.

At this point however, they're being sought because the state has an affirmative duty to inform parents whose children have come into state care.

[Joe Guy]

If the police have to search for the parents, they're not just looking to inform them that their kids are in custody. They suspect the parents were involved and don't want to be found.

[Lord Jim]

That sounds like a very logical assumption to me.

If your children are missing, you're going to the police, the police aren't having to come looking for you...

If they aren't complicit in this, then the next most logical explanation for them not coming forward is that they met with foul play...

[BoSoxGal]

There are any number of reasons the parents might not be readily located; they left their children with these people to travel, they don't have primary custody of the kids, etc.

I only did child protection work for a half dozen years, but those are two that come immediately to mind that don't necessarily indicate they were involved directly with the mistreatment.