Twin brothers were found locked in a tiny wooden box that was padlocked and chained while their parents were out working.

Police found the three-year-old boys trapped inside the wooden crate, "without toys, without a pillow and without any comfort".

The discovery was made by police officers in the town of Aparecidinha in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo.

Police said they had received an anonymous tip-off that the toddlers were locked inside the box and officers then went to the house where they found them in the crate.

A photo shows the wooden crate in the corner of a room next to a sofa.


The crate had a few vertical air holes between wooden slats and it appears the two children were trying to push parts of their body through the air holes in a desperate attempt to get out.

The boys were taken to a shelter while the parents, who are both farmers, were arrested on suspicion of infant mistreatment.

Police captain Sonimarcos said: "The parents said they kept the boys in the box so they could carry out their tasks in the home and in the fields.

"But the space was very small and was even split into two so the brothers did not touch each other. Without toys, without a pillow and without any comfort."

The parents were taken to a local police station where they gave statements before being released.

Police said that the twins did not show any signs of violent abuse.