Girl, 8, locked in cupboard for four months
A couple locked an eight-year-old girl in a dark, lice-infested cupboard for four months, and fed her bread and water, Texas authorities allege.
The girl weighed only 25lbs when she was rescued on Monday night. The 4ft by 8ft closet was littered with human waste and soiled clothing.
The girl's mother, Barbara Catherine Atkinson, 30, and stepfather, Kenneth Ray Atkinson, 33, of Hutchins, Texas, have been charged with injury to a child and are being held in the Dallas County Jail.
The girl is in a stable condition and in good spirits,. She has been taken to the Children's Medical Centre of Dallas for treatment of malnutrition. Police said she should weigh at least 50lbs.
Police said the girl told officers she was two years old. Authorities said they did not know if she or five other children in the house attended school.
The other children, ranging from 22 months old to 11 years, have been placed in emergency foster care.
