Neglected Zaanstreek kids doing well under the circumstances

Two neglected boys found locked into an apartment in the Zaanstreek region last summer, are doing well under the circumstances, the police said after a Facebook post by the police inspector who found the young children caused a commotion on social media, NOS reports.

On Facebook police inspector Tom Verweij wrote about how he found the two young boys locked into a piping hot apartment by themselves, after a report from a neighbor about screaming children. They had nothing to eat or drink, and both were sweating like pigs. The oldest boy was dressed only in his underpants and had a knife in his hand. His toddler brother walked around in only a dirty diaper. The boys showed animal behavior and were left on their own for so long that they developed their own language to communicate with each other.

The boys are no longer with their mother, the police said. They are being cared for by a crisis foster family. The mother is receiving professional help, according to the police. It is not yet clear whether she will be prosecuted - the Public Prosecutor still has to make that decision.

For their privacy, the police will give no further information about the case.