SASKATOON -- Throughout James Repesse’s years in policing, he’s never seen a call come in the way it did earlier this month.

On Dec. 7, police were called to a home in the 600 block of Lenore Drive for reports of a boy spotted on a roof.

The seven-year-old escaped from a second-floor room he was locked in, according to police. 

“He climbed out the window and onto the roof to try and get somebody's attention to help him and his brother,” Staff Sgt. Repesse said. 

“The circumstances surrounding this, I've never encountered it before. The lengths this little guy had to go to in order to to get himself and his brother help — I mean obviously it was quite, quite dramatic.”

When officers arrived to the home, people were helping the boy down from the roof. 

Repesse said police went into the home and found the boy’s four-year-old brother locked in the room the seven-year-old escaped from. Police said a 10-year-old girl was also in the home

The kids were taken to to the Jim Pattison Children’s hospital for injuries related to assault and malnourishment, Repesse said. 

After an investigation by the child abuse unit, police arrested a 36-year-old woman and 28-year-old man. 

The woman is charged with three counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of fail to provide the necessities of life, two counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and two counts of forcible confinement.

A 28-year-old man is charged with assault and assault with a weapon.

The man was granted bail on Tuesday afternoon. A judge is still considering the bail application for the accused woman. 

Fewer child abuse calls during pandemic

Repesse said stress factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can lead to situations where children are mistreated.​

But Repesse said there hasn’t been as many child abuse reports as anticipated. 

“It’s concerning we’re not seeing more calls,” he said. 

“I think one of the reasons is because children are at home, doing online learning, and they don’t have access to some of those trusted adults like teachers and guidance counsellors that they would have previously.”

Repesse encourages anybody who “sees something, hears something or even suspects something” to report it to the Ministry of Social Services or Saskatoon Police Service.