Very young children playing by the side of a railway line were spotted by passer by. When he saw them there again three days later he reported this to the police. Police and Social Services collected the children and went to the family home.

On entering the house they were overwhelmed by the stench. More children were discovered, five in total, the youngest of which was just eight months old and the eldest four years old.

There was no food or water in the house, all of the children were living in their own dirt and their bodies were in a terrible state, cuts all over them, full of worms and maggots and fungus growing over their skin. The eight month old girl was found with a rat gnawing at her face. Their condition totally shocked the country.

Further investigation revealed that the mother had abandoned the children some time ago leaving a sixteen year old daughter in charge. She then left the house some days later to look for the mother. A grandmother to the family has been traced who says she knows nothing of the situation. There is a suggestion that an older brother (not living with the family) could be the father of one child whilst the sixteen year old could be the mother of another child.

All five children were rushed to Belo Horizonte Hospital for their condition was assessed and treated. Their case was taken to an emergency court hearing and the presiding judge ruled that the children must be taken into care.

The Judge and Social Services placed them into the Good Shepherd Project Safe House in Fatima.

The media interest was intense and persistent. The children were recognized every time that they were taken out and many requests to adopt the children were made. It was decided however, that the children should remain together in the Safe House for a period of stability and healing. It was also necessary to correctly identify the children and establish their ages and parentage.

The children all returned to full health and continue to grow and develop well.

Happily, three of the five siblings have now been adopted by long standing friends of Projeto Bom Pastor, a Brazilian couple who themselves were volunteers when the project was first established