Child with Down syndrome, 2, left 'with brain damage after parents abandon him in feces' at campsite

A fellow camper at the site told police they saw the children hungry and alone, and appeared to be covered in feces

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A two-year-old boy with down syndrome has been left with brain damage after allegedly being abandoned by his parents at a campsite along with his two young siblings.

Police were called to Little Tallapoosa Park in Georgia after a nearby camper saw the children, aged two, four and five, who appeared to be hungry and covered in feces. This comes as horrific cases of alleged neglect shock parents across the US.

Officers found three young children alone in a tent with their parents nowhere to be seen. Police say that the two-year-old, who has Down syndrome, suffered brain damage from neglect.

The children, who all showed signs of dental neglect, are now in Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) custody, police say.

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Parents Jason and Kira Askea were arrested and later accused of first-degree child cruelty. Court records show that the children had been living in the park after losing their home.

Officers said that the children were filthy when they arrived but the two-year-old was in the worst condition. They say he was unable to support his body, hold up his head, walk, or talk.

Two of the children allegedly told the camper who had called the police they had not eaten in two days.

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As an ambulance arrived to take the children to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, parents, Jason and Kira Askea, returned to the campsite.

According to the arrest warrants, the two-year-old suffered brain damage due to medical neglect. Police also reported that the child's seizures had gone untreated.

Allen Babcock, executive director of the West Georgia Advocacy Center, an organization which helps in child abuse investigations, emphasized how important it is for people to speak up when they see potential abuse or neglect.

"We do about 400 to 450 forensic interviews a year," Babcock said. "And not all of those are part of law enforcement investigations. Some of them are for DFCS."

He added: "We can’t do everything. One person can’t do everything, but we can do something to interrupt the cycles of violence. Anyone who has a suspicion should report to 1-855-GA-CHILD, which is the central intake. From that point, law enforcement or DFCS will bring the child here."