Rat attack trial: Father faces maximum penalty for neglect

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 has 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 filthy house by his father, David Schonabaum.

Seeing the boy lying in a pool of blood, the police officers immediately called an ambulance, which took care of him. Doctors examining him quickly counted over fifty bites on various body parts. There were particularly many in the area of 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 the worst affected. The rats had gnawed his fingers down to the bone. The left hand, legs, feet, and toes were also in bad, though slightly better, condition. A trial in this case began nearly a year after this dramatic discovery.

The child’s father, whose neglect caused his suffering, was put on trial. The case outraged investigators so much 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 apartment as "unclean, unsanitary, rat-infested house." He also accused the father of deliberately ignoring the deteriorating condition of the house and rejecting offers of help. The verdict in this case is expected on October 2.

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.