London – Deveca Rose (29) went shopping in the supermarket and left her four children unattended at home. When a fire broke out in the rubbish-filled apartment, the two sets of twins died a painful death.
Neighbors heard the children screaming for help and kicked the door in. But help came too late: Kyson, Bryson (4), Leyton and Logan (3) had taken refuge under a bed and suffocated there.
Charged with manslaughter and child abuse
The tragic case occurred in 2021, a few days before Christmas, and is currently being heard at London’s Old Bailey court. The mother is charged with manslaughter and child abuse.
Many of the facts are still unclear, such as the cause of the fire. A carelessly discarded cigarette or an overturned candle in the living room could have started the fire. What is undeniable is that the children lived in appalling conditions. The apartment was littered with rubbish, and the garbage was said to be up to 20 centimeters high. The twins had to live among human excrement, and the mountains of rubbish had attracted rats.
Social services do not pursue case further
Her mother said she went shopping on December 16th because she had “gone crazy”. The reason: the boys had ripped open garbage bags. Social services had already become aware of the problem months before the drama because the front garden was full of garbage. After six attempts to contact them were unsuccessful, the case was not pursued any further.
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When the mother came home and saw the fire brigade, she is said to have fled to a neighbour’s house. The prosecutor: “You could hear the children, but the door was closed.” When a neighbour kicked the door in, the fire spread so far that it was no longer possible to get into the apartment.
The four boys were later discovered lifeless under a bed on the upper floor. Rescue attempts were unsuccessful. After the accident, the boys’ father wrote on Facebook: “They were smart, loving boys. They will be in my heart and thoughts forever. Love, Dad.”
The process continues.