Abuse Cycle Nightmare: Couple Faces New Rape Charges

0:00It's May 1st. Welcome to Durham News Today, powered by AI. A Wake County couple is facing tougher charges after allegedly abusing their kids in brutal ways. Rochelle Galasso, 33, and Lacey Hoka, Jr., 34, got busted last month on over a dozen counts each. She's accused of starving the children and locking one in a dog cage full of waste while he's charged with sexual abuse. Here this week, Sheriff's deputies dropped even more serious accusations. Galasso now faces claims she helped Hoka rape one of the kids at least twice. Meanwhile, he's hit with seven new counts, including multiple rapes of one child over two years and snapping nude photos of another in the shower. Folks are reeling from these details, especially since court papers paint a messy picture. Galasso's lawyer says she was trapped in an abusive relationship with Hoka, who beat her, strangled her, and kept her from leaving the house, or using a phone for years. Investigators haven't spelled out exactly how Galasso aided the attacks, but the new

1:03filings ramp up the case big time. Both are still behind bars as bonds get sorted. This nightmare highlights how abuse cycles trap families, and authorities are pushing hard to protect those kids moving forward.