Madison police have arrested three suspects in connection with the alleged torture and starvation of a 15-year-old girl, including the victim’s father and stepmother.

Chad Chritton, 40, and Melinda Drabek-Chritton, 42, both of Madison, were arrested on counts of first degree reckless endangerment, intentional child abuse and child neglect, according to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday. Both suspects are being held in Dane County Jail with a bail of $20,000 each.

The victim was forced to live in the basement of the family’s home with no access to a bathroom, according to the complaint. The victim told police her father and stepmother deprived her of food, and often forced her to consume her own feces and urine.

Chritton confirmed that the victim was locked in the basement with barred windows, and said he had placed an alarm on the door to alert him if the victim tried to leave, according to the complaint. Chritton also told police he installed cameras near his food pantries to monitor the girl’s eating, because he believed she was diabetic.

The complaint said a doctor had never diagnosed the victim with diabetes.

The girl’s stepbrother, Joshua Drabek, 18, was also arrested on counts of sexual assault and intentional child abuse. Drabek is also facing prior allegations of sexual assault of a child, according to court records.

The complaint said the victim told police her stepbrother engaged her in forced sex on multiple occasions.

Dr. Barbara Knox, child abuse pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital, told police the girl was exposed to prolonged starvation that resulted in pubertal arrest, the complaint said.

Knox said in the complaint the victim suffered from serial child torture, isolation, terrorization, and physical and sexual abuse, among other injuries.

According to a police report, the victim was found walking outside barefoot and in pajamas Feb. 6 by a passerby, who notified police. The girl was transported to a Madison hospital.

The complaint said the girl told police she fled her home after her stepmother threatened to throw her down a flight of stairs for completing a chore too slowly.

The girl was taken to Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center, where a forensic interview took place. The report said the interview provided probable cause to make the three arrests.

Jennifer Ginsburg, forensic interviewer for Safe Harbor, said interviews are conducted to establish the facts of an incident and to help officials determine what steps to take in the investigation.

“We work with a team of professionals; we work cooperatively with law enforcement, child protection, the district attorney offices and others … to make sure the child does not fall through the cracks,” Ginsburg said. “The goal is to reduce the number of times the child has to recount their story rather than having to repeat it over and over, and then everyone can hear it one time in a child-friendly environment.”

According to Ginsburg, the center conducts an average of 200 forensic interviews a year, resulting in approximately 16 interviews a month.