Shocking true story of incest family that spanned five generations consisting of nearly 40 relatives

Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse, sexual abuse and rape which some readers may find distressing.

Genetic testing proved that the Colt family had seen 'generational' incest take place within it.

In July 2012, members of the Department of Family and Community Services raided a property in New South Wales, Australia, belonging to a family which has become known as the Colt family.

They discovered children living in 'squalor,' who's genetic testing later revealed multiple of them had parents who are related to one another.

Part of the Colt's property authorities raided (9News)

Authorities were first made aware of the family in June 2010 when they received reports of neglect, failure of the children attending school, and failure to seek necessary medical attention, The Guardian reports.

Social services reportedly requested the family improve their living conditions and they did so in June 2012, however in July, authorities descended on the property - comprising of two caravans and some old tents - and removed 12 children from the area as a result of them being considered at risk of harm.

Detective Inspector Peter Yeomans said in 2014, as quoted by The Daily Telegraph: "I’ve never seen it before. I’ve never seen something like this before in relation to bringing up children in those conditions.

"[...] Squalor is probably the best word to describe it, how they were living [...] "Children shouldn’t be living in those conditions."

Police reported the children were living in 'squalor' (9News)

The 12 children ranged from five to 15 years old and the New South Wales Court's ruling on the case states that some of them were 'developmentally delayed', while others were 'cognitively impaired' with several 'unable to speak intelligibly'.

Examinations by psychologists and social workers, alongside genetic testing later revealed a 'generational' incest had taken place within the family.

Some of the children alleged they'd had 'inappropriate sexual conduct' with one another and reports said that some 'exhibited sexualised behavior' too.

The family - all given pseudonyms and the collective family name pseudonym of the Colt family - and their history are said to date back to 40 years ago when Timothy and June Colt married in 1966 in New Zealand.

The pair went on to have seven children and moved to Australia.

It's also reported Timothy - who died in 2009 - fathered children with not only one of his daughters, but one of his granddaughters too.

Multiple members of the family were arrested (9News)

Three of the children removed from the property claimed their uncle Charlie was also their father. And one of the children - aged 12 - alleged Charlie also had sex with her.

Timothy and June's daughters, Betty, Rhonda and Martha - who lived on the raided property - are reported as having mothered 11 of the 12 children taken away by authorities.

The mother of the twelfth child is believed to be Raylene, one of Betty's daughters.

As reported by The New Zealand Herald, the family were, according to some members, 'proud of their family values'.

The mothers contested that the fathers of their children were related to them, however, genetic testing proved otherwise and that many other individuals in the family were 'related' if not 'closely related'.

Detective Inspector Yeomans said: "I’ve never come across something, in relation to allegations of incest, that is generational in these sort of circumstances."

The case came to light when the New South Wales Court published its judgement in September 2013.

It resolved the children would remain in care until they turned 18, with there being 'no realistic possibility of restoration of any of the children'.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org