Every member of the group of 38 was related by blood (Image: news.com.au)
A horrifying discovery left witnesses reeling when authorities uncovered the appalling conditions within one family dwelling.
An incestuous nightmare had been festering for generations, initiated by two great-great grandparents in an isolated rural valley, hidden from public scrutiny.
Their offspring were rendered mute and blind – shackled by decades of revolting inbreeding practices. Social services personnel were appalled to discover 38 people living in deplorable conditions, all sharing blood relations.
The severely maltreated youngsters were so damaged they couldn’t communicate verbally. Upon placement with foster families, carers observed disturbing hypersexual conduct.
Years afterwards, one parent shared a disturbing Facebook post saying “Love Makes a Family”, as reported by the New Zealand Herald, reports the Mirror US.
For the Colts – a court-assigned alias – the torment commenced with June and Tim, who wed in New Zealand in 1966 before relocating to Australia. They produced seven offspring, with Martha their final child.
The children were moved to foster care (Image: BBC Scotland/IWC Media)
Every individual amongst the 38 had endured prolonged sexual exploitation at the hands of siblings, cousins, fathers, an uncle and a grandfather spanning four generations.
The Colts initially attracted official attention in June 2010. Across two years, seven “risk of significant harm reports” were filed, predominantly concerning neglect, medical negligence and truancy issues.
In 2010, social services finally gained access to the makeshift encampment where the family resided. The site lacked basic amenities such as running water and toilets.
The children were unable to groom themselves, didn’t know how to use toilet paper, couldn’t brush their teeth, and ate with their hands.
The caravan’s cooking area was coated in filth, vegetables were decaying in the fridge, and the bed linens seemed to be stained with dirt. A kangaroo was found sleeping on one of the children’s beds.
Many of the children exhibited visible deformities, including misaligned eyes, low-set ears, and appeared significantly older than their actual age. Only Rhonda’s five year old daughter was discovered not to have been fathered by a blood relative.
Tim Colt headed up the nightmare family (Image: news.com.au)
All other children were the result of incest.
Betty, Martha, and Raylene all refute the claim that their children are products of incest, despite genetic testing proving otherwise.
Three girls aged seven, eight, and nine alleged that their uncle, Charlie Colt, who resided on the property when the children were taken away, was also their father. The nine year old also claimed that Charlie Colt had sexually abused her.
It is suspected that the family patriarch, Timothy Colt, who passed away in 2009, fathered children with both his daughter and granddaughter.
Five of the boys who were removed confessed to torturing animals on the farm, including puppies and cats. They also admitted to mutilating the genitals of animals.
Initially, the family heeded a June 2012 request from social services to better their living conditions, but by July, police had to intervene and remove 12 children, all cousins aged between five and 15 years, after it was determined they were at risk of harm if they stayed at the property.
The children who were taken away will remain under care until they turn 18. The case emerged into public knowledge when the children’s court of New South Wales decided to publish its judgment.
In 2021, court proceedings against other members of the Colt family revealed that Martha’s father, Tim Colt, was likely also the father of his daughter Betty’s 13 offspring.
Martha, known for sharing a “marital bed” with her brother Charlie, was found to have birthed five children with him. Evidence presented at Martha’s trial suggested her children were likely fathered by Charlie, her own father Tim, and another brother.
Three Colts, Roderick, Martha, and Derek, lodged appeals in 2020, but these have since lapsed. Despite initially facing 80 charges including incest, child sexual abuse, indecency against a child, and perjury, many charges against eight Colts were dropped.
Charlie Colt, who faced 27 charges, was acquitted of two and not guilty on others, with the remainder withdrawn. However, his brother Roderick was convicted of raping his niece and half-sister Petra.
During his trial, it was revealed that Petra was also his half-sister, as she was the offspring of Roderick’s sister Betty and their father Tim.
Tim moved to Australia in 1966 (Image: news.com.au)
Despite all eight family members being incarcerated following their 2018 arrest, only four have been handed prison sentences.
Martha, along with her elder sisters Betty and Rhonda, and Betty’s daughter Raylene, faced charges for falsifying the paternity of their children. In a defiant display on Facebook in 2018, Betty Colt shared an image of herself with two female kin, emblazoned with the slogan “Love Makes a Family”.
Rhonda was given a 14-month intensive corrections order (ICO) for perjury, which concluded in 2021. Raylene also received a 16-month ICO for perjury, which has since expired in 2021.
Betty was found guilty on four counts of perjury, one count of lying under oath, and one count of perverting the course of justice, resulting in a 14-month incarceration.
Her maximum sentence of two years and four months is set to end in August. Martha, the youngest sister, admitted to five instances of perjury and one of making a false statement under oath.