A one-year-old child was found living in a cage in a home in northern Israel, after police searched the home for drugs.
The shocking discovery was made in Haifa, when police raided the apartment for drugs.
Officers found large quantities of crystal meth and hashish, and arrested two suspects, residents of Haifa ages 22 and 27, for drug possession.
In addition, however, officers found a young boy, later found to be 16 months of age, living in a metal cage in a separate unit in the house, where a family with six children resides.
Police freed the child from the cage, and found pillows and a bottle inside.
The mother of the child, 35, who was not present at the time, was summoned and arrested for unlawful imprisonment, abuse, and wanton neglect of a minor.
City officials from the welfare department were dispatched to the scene to take custody of the family’s children.
“This is one of the worst cases I’ve ever seen,” said Haifa police superintendent Yossi Attias.
“The baby was left alone in a closed iron cage no bigger than half a yard, with no way of getting out.”
“The officers took the baby out and arrested the mother, and police, working with welfare officials from the city of Haifa, carried out emergency measures to ensure the other children from the family were cared for on the spot.”