Father of boy who died in squalor pleads guilty to neglect charges

The Victorian father of a five-year-old boy who died after cutting his foot on rubbish piled high in his squalid home has pleaded guilty to neglect charges, Fairfax reports.

The boy suffered a cut to his toe after stepping on an empty tin of cat food discarded among junk, rotting food and faeces at a property, in Melbourne's north-western suburbs, and his parents failed to seek medical attention, according to court documents.

The boy became ill in the days after, documents say, and he was found dead in his bedroom by his mother on August 1 2012.

The boy was rushed to an ambulance branch but he could not be revived.

The boy's skin was grey and mottled and his foot wrapped with a dirty bandage, according to one ambulance officer.

The boy's father pleaded guilty to two charges of reckless conduct endangering serious injury, a charge which carries a maximum five-year jail-term, Fairfax reports.

He also pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to register the birth of a child.

The boy's mother has already pleaded guilty to the same charges.

Court documents reveal the father treated the little boy's injury with a band aid and antiseptic, but he was not taken to see a doctor despite continuing to complain of feeling unwell.

The boy had complained of a headache and sore neck the night before his death, and was heard by his older brother calling for help, according to court documents.

Police who went to the property found rubbish piled high, rotting food, faeces as well as soiled bedding and clothing, with one investigating officer describing it as 'a state of extreme squalor' in his hand up brief.

"A foul odour emanated from the premises and an infestation of rodents and insects was evident," an investigating officer wrote.

The parents' names have been suppressed to protect the identity of another son.

The boy's death has prompted investigations by several authorities as to how children could be brought up in such filthy living conditions.

The boy was not enrolled in kindergarten, had never been immunized and only had contact with his immediate family, court documents said.

Both parents have been bailed and are due before the County Court in June.