Michigan children found living alone in squalor after mom abandoned them

[Jilly_in_VA]

Three children were found living alone in "absolute squalor" in a Pontiac, Michigan, rental home after their mother abandoned them years ago, authorities said.

The 34-year-old mother was arrested last week, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Sunday. To protect the identity of the children — aged 15, 13 and 12 — her name was not released.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard called the children's living conditions "abuse of the highest order." Human waste and mold were found inside the home, garbage was thrown everywhere, and the children survived on weekly drop-offs of prepared food, the sheriff's office said.

"This situation would be deemed deplorable and intolerable for an animal, and it is utterly unacceptable for three children," Bouchard said in a statement.

"They have been deprived of any interaction with their mother and have not received an education for years," he continued. "The far-reaching consequences of this abuse must be acknowledged."

Deputies were called to the home on Friday afternoon to conduct a welfare check after the landlord said he had not heard from the mother since December, the news release states. The landlord said the mother had last paid rent in October and he was concerned that something may have happened.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/3-michigan-children-found-living-alone-absolute-squalor-mother-abandon-rcna192562

She obviously didn't teach them anything about caring for themselves or basic hygiene or they wouldn't have been quite so bad off, but the neighbors are complicit too, because they must have known something was up.

[Easterncedar]

1. Their fathers having abandoned them long before, right?

It’s grim as hell how these kids were entirely abandoned by society, including both of their parents, and their neighbors and school and welfare agencies. By us.

[Irish_Dem]

2. The neighbors had to see the kids taking in the food.

Saw that they were filthy with matted hair, etc.
And never ventured out or went to school.

[JoseBalow]

3. Wrong. Father had visitation agreement, but the mother refused to let him see them.

Maybe read the article first?

[Easterncedar]

4. Missed that, thanks, but i don't see he is absolved

Plenty of dysfunction, plenty of blame to go around.

[JoseBalow]

5. Guy fought in court to be a part of his kid's lives, but was denied by the mother.

He's not in need of absolution. He probably didn't even know about the kid's circumstances.

[LisaM]

6. What about the relatives they are living with now?

It doesn't sound as if the family is the least but functional (and maybe the relatives are in a different state), but it seems odd they are capable of taking care of them now but never checked on them before.