Two sisters accused of kidnapping their severely autistic "wolf boy" brother have had all charges dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Elizabeth Roberts, 30, of Danbury, and Jeanette Rachell Roberts, 28, known as Gina, of Saffron Walden, had been accused of unlawfully taking or carrying away Tony Roberts, 24, against his will from Pyfleet Lodge, Braintree, in January.

Mother of five Elizabeth Roberts, who spent two days on remand in Holloway Prison before being released by a Crown Court judge, said: "Social services are the ones who have taken Tony from his family, and he is being held under sedation at Pyfleet Lodge."

They had been due to face Chelmsford magistrates earlier this week, but the CPS has decided to discontinue the case.

The sisters have now vowed to use the legal system to "free" Tony from the Essex County Council residence where he was returned after their arrest .

Gina said: "He should be back with those he loves. This has put him back years to when he could never trust another human being."

Their adoptive brother was dubbed a "wolf boy" by London social workers who rescued him from his home in the capital at the age of four, having been neglected since birth and allowed to fend for himself.

Kept in a cot and never touched by his parents, Tony survived on rice and cola and was so terribly malnourished that his heart could be seen beating in his skeletal body.

He was first cared for and then adopted at the age of 16 by Jeanette Roberts, who also adopted Elizabeth and Gina.

Jeanette Roberts founded the Family in Trust Home, a charitable trust for adults and children, at the Old Convent, Moor Hall Lane, Bicknacre.

Tony, now a strapping 6ft 2in "gentle giant", was removed from the home by social services after Operation Camberley, a police raid at the Old Convent, and later relocated to Pyfleet Lodge.

Elizabeth and Gina claim that they were refused permission to visit Tony by social workers who said that he did not wish to see them.

"We were determined to see Tony because we knew that he would be very stressed and anxious," said Gina. "We were amazed to learn that he had told Pyfleet that he did not want to see us, because we have both cared for him for the past 20 years.

The sisters said that when Tony saw them arrive at Pyfleet, he grabbed hold of Elizabeth by the wrist and mouthed "Mum, Mum, Mum" and "Lee, Lee, Lee" the name of his closest brother, who also lives at the Roberts family home.

Gina said: "His eyes were rolling and he looked heavily sedated, but he followed us outside, holding my sister's arm tightly.

"He climbed into our car and we decided to drive him to Colchester to see a solicitor, but we were stopped by five police cars on the A12 and arrested."

Four women from the Old Convent face cruelty charges relating to the raid, and a man faces charges of assault and ill-treatment. The case had been due to be heard at Chelmsford Magistrates Court yesterday (Thursday), but has been adjourned for four weeks.

Elizabeth (left) and Gina Roberts.

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