London parents convicted of sexually abusing their children

Passing sentences on two London parents, Judge Thomas Heeney told the court: “The facts in this case were the most egregious I have encountered in my 26 years on the bench.”

This comes after a mother and father, both in their 50s, who cannot be identified, were found guilty of a total of 33 criminal charges, including incest, sexual assault, unlawful confinement and invitation to sexual touching.

The victims included four of their own children and the abuse began as early as 2002, when some were just toddlers, and ended in 2020, when they were still teenagers.

During the lengthy trial last spring, the court heard gruesome details of how the children were forced into sex acts, beaten, tied up, locked up and punished with hot sauce.

Judge Heeney said: “If they vomited after swallowing the Tabasco sauce and soap, they were forced to eat their own vomit.”

He continued for years: “To the outside world this family seemed like a happy household, but behind closed doors it was a different story.”

He added: “It was a house of horrors for these four victims as they were subjected to years of sexual and psychological abuse by their parents.”

Of the children, Judge Heeney said: “They suffered pain, domination and humiliation; the treatment bordered on the sadistic.”

He said both parents were equally responsible: she was convicted of 18 charges and the father of 15. Ultimately, the judge sentenced her to a total of 17 years and five months in prison and him to 16 years and 241 days behind bars. .

He was given more credit for the time he has already spent at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Center. The court was told he suffered during the trial, with Judge Heeney saying: “He was seriously assaulted four times by other prisoners.”

As the verdicts were handed down, the mother began sobbing in the courtroom and hugged her lawyer, while the father showed little or no emotion.

After she was led away, word emerged that the mother is applying for bail pending an appeal against her conviction.