Six years ago a police convoy descended on a remote block in a sleepy NSW valley less than two hours from Canberra.

There, they discovered the Colt* family, among them 12 children under the age of 16, who had been living without running water or electricity.

They were malnourished, filthy and had minimal speech. Many of the children did not know how to use a toothbrush.

Some slept in tents, others in dirty caravans covered in rubbish, mud and cigarette butts.