Eight people have been arrested across three states following a six-year investigation into suspected historical and ongoing child abuse in southern New South Wales. Photo / NSW Police
Eight people have been arrested across three states following a six-year investigation into suspected historical and ongoing child abuse in southern New South Wales. Photo / NSW Police
Eight members of the "Colt" family have been arrested in raids across Australia over the alleged incest and sexual abuse of children.
The arrested family members will face court in Griffith, NSW, and Adelaide and Perth later today.
Detectives from the State Crime Command's Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad established Strike Force Hermoyne to investigate allegations of incest, child sexual assault, and serious neglect of children on the family's farm in southern NSW in 2012.
The investigation into the alleged abuse began six years ago. Photo / NSW Police
The infamous family, who can only legally known as the Colts to protect the identity of the children, were found by police living in depraved circumstances in a filthy bush camp six years ago.
It was a discovery that shocked the world — four generations of incestuous activity in a secret bush camp in the hills behind the tiny town of Boorowa.
A family of 38 adults and children were found living among incestuous relationships in filthy conditions without electricity, toilets or town plumbing.
Some of the children had stunted speech and misshapen features, and all slept in caravans, tents and tin sheds.
DNA testing would prove that 11 of the children in the camp were the product of a sexual relationship by their mothers with either a brother, father or other close male relative.
Family matriarch Betty Colt.Source. Photo / News Corp Australia
The children of the Colts had never seen toilet paper and didn't know how to clean their teeth.
From a young age, they allegedly engaged in sex with uncles, aunts or cousins.
The arrests come after a lengthy investigation. Strike force officers, assisted by police in South Australia, Western Australia and NSW, swooped on the family yesterday.
A 45-year-old man and 38-year-old woman were arrested in the Griffith area of NSW. The 38-year-old woman was charged with perjury. The 45-year-old man was charged with six counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10, four counts of indecent assault, sexual intercourse with a child aged between 10-14, aggravated act of indecency, and common assault.
The pair were refused bail and will appear at Griffith Court later today.
Two women and a man were arrested in the Riverland region of South Australia, all on NSW warrants.
The family tree of the infamous Colt family.
The 50-year-old woman is facing a perjury charge, as is a 34-year-old woman, while the 29-year-old man is charged with two counts of incest with a person under the age of 16 years.
The trio were remanded in custody to appear at Adelaide Magistrates Court today, where detectives will apply for their extradition to NSW.
In Western Australia, three people will face Perth Magistrates Court today, where detectives will also apply for their extradition to NSW.
This group were arrested in the Northam area of the state.
The 51-year-old woman was charged with a NSW arrest warrant for perjury.
The 36-year-old man was charged with four counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 10, two counts of indecent assault and having sexual intercourse with a child aged between 10-14.
The 48-year-old man was charged with sexual intercourse with a child under 10.
SHOCKING SCENES ON FAMILY FARM
When the farm was raided by police in 2012 child welfare officers were so disturbed with what they saw they immediately removed the children from the putrid environment.
Several of the children featured homozygous or identical gene characteristics, such as lowset ears, misaligned eyes and hearing loss.
The farm property of the Colt family. Photo / News Corp Australia
A family of 38 adults and children were found living among incestuous relationships in filthy conditions. Photo / News Corp Australia
Some could only walk in a shuffling gait, and could not speak intelligibly, read or write, count, or recognise numbers.
At least 12 of the children were from incestuous relationships over four generations descending from grandparents who were brother and sister.
They were undernourished, had developmental delays, extensively decayed teeth, fungal infections and had barely attended school.
A tent at the Colt incest family farm where brother and sister slept openly together each evening. Photo / News Corp Australia
Some of them displayed poor speech, low reasoning capacity, low-range working memory and an extremely low range of intelligence.
The family had moved from state to state and evaded detection until they moved to an unsewered bush block in the isolated hills behind the tiny town of Boorowa.
BETTY JAILED IN 2014
The Colt family set-up comprised of the five daughters and two sons of Tim and June Colt, with Betty the matriarch and mother of 13 children and four grandchildren.
DNA tests proved that five of Betty's children were from incestuous relations with a parent, brother or uncle.
The filthy 'Colt' kitchen. Photo / News Corp Australia
Betty was jailed in 2014 for trying to kidnap two of her children after they were taken into care.
At the time of the offences, Betty had contacted Bobby, 15, and Billy, 14, and incited them to escape from foster care and live with her again.
In bizarre conversations recorded by police and tendered to Moss Vale Local Court, Betty told Bobby he was "sexy" and "gorgeous".
The family evaded detection by moving from state to state. Photo / News Corp Australia
Court documents seen by news.com.au reveal she told Bobby, whose father was believed to be either Betty's own father or brother, "I ain't giving up until I get every one of you home.
"Pack your bags and I'll be there. They can't stop you. If they put a hand on you, charge them with assault."
