HE WAS SHAKING. UNSTEADY ON HIS FEET. HIS MUSCLES HAD WASTED. When police and social workers found a boy in Colchester, he was critically underweight and malnourished. Doctors warned that any further delay in treatment could have been fatal. The room he had been living in was locked from the outside. Green tarpaulin covered the floor. Police described him having no clothes and nothing to sleep on. He had been denied adequate food and stimulation for his development. Evidence showed starvation and severe neglect between January and May 2020. He survived. But leaving that room was only the beginning of his recovery. He spent a prolonged period in hospital and has needed years of psychological support. He is now in a safe, loving environment and continues to recover physically. On 23 October 2026, his parents were jailed for 12 and 11 years after being convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent. Their names cannot be published because identifying them could identify him. His story can be heard without taking away his privacy. Speak For Them campaigns for stronger child safeguarding. Add your voice: speakforthem.org.uk → Write to your MP. 2 minutes 💙 Source: Essex Police, 26 October 2026. #SpeakForThem #ChildProtection #Safeguarding