Court hears of 'House of Horrors'
The High Court in Pretoria on Friday got glimpses into the so-called 'House of Horrors' in Springs, Gauteng.
Social worker Jolene Fouche has testified of her encounter with the family, the day she removed four of the five children from their parents' care.
Fouche said she found the four children, apart from the then 11-year-old son, on an old mattress in front of the TV.
The mother, she testified, was dressed inappropriately and appeared drugged.
Fouche said the father, who at that stage claimed to be his wife's brother, aggressively refused that the children be removed from their care.
The other son was at his aunt's house after being assaulted by his father.
The man was arrested in 2014 after his 11-year-old son sounded the alarm that he and his four siblings were being kept in the basement of the house.
The couple, who can't be named to protect the identities of their children, face 22 charges combined relating to abuse, rape and the possession and dealing in drugs.
The couple's oldest daughter, and their son who ran to their neighbours for help, have been testifying in camera over the past week.