Six years after a police raid on the infamous "Colt incest family" in Australia, the sordid saga continues to generate headlines worldwide as members of the clan await trial on recent charges ranging from perjury to child molestation.
And the disturbing story starts in New Zealand.
At least five generations of the family, which was given the Colt surname pseudonym to protect its youngest victims, have been the product of incest, authorities have alleged. DNA tests have offered evidence of in-breeding in the three surviving generations.
Police in Australia said New Zealanders Tim and June Colt immigrated to Australia sometime in the 1960s or 70s. June, herself the product of incest, some of her family said, gave birth to seven children. Those seven children then had dozens of offspring - some with their father, and others with other members of the family. At least one member of the fifth generation has also been the product of incest, DNA tests suggest.
Many of the 38 surviving family members, however, have denied all allegations.
Police and caseworkers first raided the family's squalid New South Wales compound where 38 relatives lived in 2012 after a teacher overheard one of the Colt children telling classmates: "My sister is pregnant and we don't know which of my brothers is the father."
There, police found children "malformed and devoid of hygiene", with many children living in tents and unable to speak clearly, according to court documents cited by Australian media.
Twelve children taken into custody at the time were found to have been the result of incest, News Corp Australia reported.
After the raid, many of the family members - none of whom were initially charged for sex abuse - scattered across Australia, police said.
But that changed in April of this year, when a police sting operation resulted in eight arrests across three Australian states. Among them was Martha Colt, daughter of June and Tim Colt, who authorities said gave birth to at least four children whose fathers were related to their mum. She was living with and in a relationship with her brother, prosecutors have said.
Another was Betty Colt, the family matriarch who gave birth to 13 children, five of them allegedly through incest.
Betty Colt's previously served time in prison. In 2014 she was convicted of a failed plot to kidnap two of her children from foster care and served nine months behind bars. After her release, the Australian government took steps to deport her to New Zealand but she appealed the removal and remains overseas.
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