10 Year Old Missouri Girl Rescued

A 10-year-old Missouri girl, who authorities say was severely malnourished and locked in a closet for several days has been rescued.  

According to reports, "The girl weighed just 32 pounds, and hospital records indicated that she has only gained 6 pounds since she was 4 or 5 years old, according to a police probable cause statement. The girl also suffers from "multiple healing skin injuries and failure to thrive," the statement said. "She weighed a little over a third of what a 10-year-old should weigh," Kansas City Police Capt. Steve Young said. "We don't know how long or how frequently she's been in there [the closet], but it's clear she'd spent a significant amount of time in there." 

Jacole Prince, 29

Kimberly Kelly, one of the young girls neighbors told reporters that they had never known that she was even apart of the household and had never seen her before.  The girls mother 29-year-old Jacole Prince (photo on left) had reportedly not been inside the home when authorities reached her door. 

 According to one officer who entered the house the second floor smelled strongly of urine.  When he noticed a crib that was pushed against a closet door that had been tied off with a rope he asked if someone were there and the young girl replied, "yes". 

Amongst the malnourishment there were obvious signs of physical abuse as well.  The young girl told hospital staff that her mother had locked her in the closet for two days and that she did not get to eat every day or play outside like her sisters.  Jacole Prince was arrested along with her boyfriend and admitted to locking the child in the closet, knowing that if anyone saw how malnourished she was they would surly arrest her.  For more on this story please go to the following link.

http://news.yahoo.com/police-rescue-malnourished-girl-closet-kansas-city-161117342--abc-news-topstories.html