A Waianae mother and stepfather appeared in court facing torture and kidnapping charges, in what could be one of the first tests of Hawaii's new child torture law.

• Jasmine Carroll's Pele and James Heffernan are accused of abusing her 13-year-old son over several years.
• The boy ran away last week and told police he was denied food, locked in his room, tied with zip ties, stabbed, punched, and attacked by the family dogs.
• Officers said they found injuries, scarring, and evidence at the home backing up his account.
• Pele is held on $400,000 bail and Heffernan, named as an accomplice, on $200,000; all three children in the home are now in state custody.
• The case tests Hawaii's new child torture law, which carries up to 20 years in prison, though poverty and being unable to afford basics can be a legal defense.

Outlook: The couple is due back in court soon as prosecutors move to apply the new law.