Boy chained up for five months because parents couldn't afford child care

A sad seven-year-old boy shows how his parents chained him to a wall for five months – because they could not afford a nanny.

Ilko Todorov was shackled “like a dog” each morning before his parents went to work.

The metal chain, attached to his leg, meant he could move only a few feet, causing him chronic injuries.



He was left just bread and water for his lunch. But his ordeal ended when worried neighbours heard his screams and called cops in Goce Delchev, Bulgaria.

Neighbour Nikifor Ivanov, 38, said: “They kept him like a dog.”

Ilvo’s dad Ilija, 40, a metal worker, and mum Marija, 34, face cruelty charges. Ilko, speaking at a foster home, said: “I’m happy here. I miss my mum, but not my dad.”