Baby rescued from rat‑infested home stands trial in Indiana

A six-month-old baby was almost eaten alive by rats in the United States. As revealed by lawyers during the trial, the animals bit nearly the entire infant. The court trial is ongoing.

The case of the six-month-old baby from Indiana captured the attention of nearly the entire United States. As local media reported in 2023, the baby was saved from being eaten alive by rats by police officers, who were called to the dirty house by his father, David Schonabaum.

Seeing the boy lying in a pool of blood, the police officers immediately called an ambulance team, who took care of him. Doctors examining him quickly counted over 50 bites on various body parts. There were particularly many on his forehead, cheeks, nose, and limbs. However, further examination confirmed the enormous scale of the trauma the child had experienced.

The boy's right hand was affected worst. The rats had gnawed his fingers down to the bone. The left hand, legs, feet, and toes were also in a poor, though slightly better, condition. Now, nearly a year after this dramatic discovery, a trial in this case has begun.

The child’s father, who, through his neglect, allowed his suffering, was put on trial. The case so outraged investigators that they literally begged the jury to hold David Schonabaum accountable and impose the maximum penalty for leaving the child in this "trap."

The prosecutor described the conditions and said the apartment was "unclean, unsanitary, rat-infested house." He also accused the father of deliberately turning a blind eye to the deteriorating condition of the house and ignoring offers of help. The verdict in this case is expected on 2 October.

The boy is currently undergoing rehabilitation to help him regain some functionality. It is already known, however, that the scars will remain with him for the rest of his life.