The 16 children rescued from the 'house of horrors' in Ohio will be separated: 'The rehabilitation process will take time'

Following the rescue of the children from the house where, according to authorities, they were held for years in harsh conditions, US welfare officials estimate that it will not be possible to keep them all in one facility. Four family members are accused of 16 counts of child endangerment, but deny the charges.

The 16 children rescued three weeks ago from a house in the town of Hamden, Ohio, where, according to authorities, they lived in harsh conditions for years, are expected to be placed in different facilities and will not remain together. This was reported by the British "Mirror". Welfare officials stated that the priority is stabilizing the children's mental and physical condition, and that meetings between siblings will take place only if it is found to be in their best interest.

According to a forensic interviewer specializing in questioning children who have suffered trauma, the process of collecting testimony is expected to be lengthy and particularly delicate.

"It requires a great deal of patience from the interviewer. These are usually long interviews, and we proceed according to each child's ability to be in the room and cooperate," she was quoted as saying on the LADbible website.

The case was exposed on June 30 of this year, when police officers who arrived to execute a search warrant as part of an investigation unrelated to crimes against children entered a house in Vinton County, Ohio. They found 16 children there, aged one and a half to 18, who had allegedly lived for four years in a space measuring approximately 3.7 by 3.7 meters, in conditions described by investigators as horrific.

Following the findings, four family members were arrested: Gary Sidder-Jr. (36), his wife Elizabeth Sidder (33), his father Gary Sidder-Sr. (73), and Christina Sidder. The four were charged with 16 counts of child endangerment, pleaded not guilty, and are awaiting further legal proceedings.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said that investigators encountered findings that were "beyond imagination."

"If we had waited another 24 hours, there would have been a very high probability that we would have been dealing with the death of one or more of the children," he said.

After the rescue, the children were transferred to hospitals, two of them were flown by helicopter for medical treatment, and one was then in critical condition. Wilson also stated that some of the children were unable to speak at all when they were found.

Meanwhile, all the children are under the supervision of welfare authorities, who estimate that they will require long-term rehabilitation and comprehensive treatment following the trauma they experienced. The four defendants remain in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.