Backstory for this: my neighbours have three kids - we’ll call them A, B, and C, A being the oldest and C the youngest.
We don’t know the family that well. Their flat is the same size as mine and whilst four people at maximum can live in a flat of this size, theirs houses 7 currently - grandparents, the children’s mother, their aunt, and the three kids.
Last summer the kids show up at our doorstep -
We have a few pets in our house and they asked to play with them. We said sure, and whilst they were there we noticed signs of neglect. The oldest (11 at the time) her two front teeth were badly decayed (they later told us their mother doesn’t allow them to brush) they were all dirty, wearing dirty clothing, had matted hair, and the youngest had a nasty cut on her foot that hasn’t been taken care of. Their toenails were so long that they were curling under. This was all extremely suspect for us, but their grandmother and aunt showed up before we could really do anything. Keep in mind - it took them about 30 minutes to show up, seemingly unbothered that the kids were in what was pretty much a strangers home. We could’ve been anyone. They were stand offish with us.
the kids started visiting regularly throughout last summer - they had only met me twice and they were already clinging to me like a sister. They seemed to not get any kind of attention at home, they were just sent out to play. We noticed the same dirt on their skin for days on end because they hadn’t been bathed, if they saw food out in the open they’d always ask for it. We found out their mother spends all her time online. The youngest showed up with a bruise on her cheek on one occasion, and when I asked about it her and her sister told me nonchalantly that her mother had thrown a phone at her. She always seemed to be nursing some kind of injury. They were put out to play in a garden covered in clutter that they could very easily get hurt playing amongst.
9 times out of 10 if I heard the kids It was because one of them was either in distress or being screamed at - the way they were treated crossed the line from simple discipline to full on verbal abuse. They were regularly taunted and antagonised by their carers and were never offered comfort. I could hear them being screamed at through several concrete walls separating our homes. The oldest added me on social media, and through her posts I could see the condition of their home - clutter and mess everywhere, things falling apart, overcrowded, no sheets on the children’s beds, just an absolute pig sty.
My family discussed our options - we knew that if the police or CPS suddenly got involved in their lives they’d immediately know it was us who tipped them off, given how much time the kids were spending in our company. I live in a relatively rough area - I’ve seen some not great stuff - and as I had dependents in my home I was scared about potentially putting them at risk. We opted to try and find out what school the girls attended instead, and contact them about it. Before we could do so however, they just vanished.
We didn’t see them for pretty much all of autumn, winter, and part of the spring. I have no idea where they were or who they were staying with, but they reappeared about about a month or two ago and they seemed alright. We interacted with them a few times more - I’ve been ill with covid and so couldn’t go out to play with them when they asked. They’d go around gardens collecting grass to give to our guinea pigs, they’re really sweet kids, I can’t emphasise that enough.
A couple days ago we hear one of them being screamed at whilst she was frantically apologising. Like I said before, she wasn’t being yelled at for discipline - the yelling was just venomous. It’s not a way that you should ever talk to a child. Then a couple days after that, two police officers show up at our door and essentially tell us that a neighbour had anonymously tipped them off about the welfare of the kids. We gave thorough statements to them basically recapping everything I’ve said here, and I asked them if the kids were alright, and if anything specific had happened to prompt the neighbour to get the police involved - they said no, which wasn’t true.
I found out last night from our neighbour that the kids had been taken away by protective services three days ago. The oldest had had both of her front teeth knocked out, had a fractured arm, and was black and blue. Yesterday I caught them having clutter collected from their home as they were attempting to clean it up and make conditions liveable in order to get the kids back.
I genuinely can’t describe my anger. I’m not family so if I were to contact the police to ask about the welfare of the kids I’d be shot down. I know they’re safe but I don’t know where, or who they’re with, all I know is that they must be terrified. I’m worried that I’ll never see them again, but even more I’m worried that I will, and that they’ll be placed back in that home with the vile fucks supposed to care for them. I have no idea who inflicted those injuries on the oldest girl, but it doesn’t matter - four adults lived in that house and three of them failed to intervene or prevent this from happening, they’re all guilty in my eyes. I have no idea what to do and I’m just stuck here angry beyond belief. I have to live in the same street as those fuckers, essentially the same building. I live and care for a disabled person who can’t work, we legally collect money from the government as a result - they’re all unemployed and collecting benefits but are perfectly healthy. Their lives haven’t been damaged by addiction, tragedy, injury, or anything like that - all they suffer from is laziness and it infuriates me that people like them manipulate the system. I live in a working class community filled with some of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met, but it’s a few rotten apples like them that give us a bad name.
If I pass them in the street I really doubt I’ll have the strength to not explode man. Sorry for the long post but I am beyond pissed. I hope they get what’s coming to them.
We don’t know the family that well. Their flat is the same size as mine and whilst four people at maximum can live in a flat of this size, theirs houses 7 currently - grandparents, the children’s mother, their aunt, and the three kids.
Last summer the kids show up at our doorstep -
We have a few pets in our house and they asked to play with them. We said sure, and whilst they were there we noticed signs of neglect. The oldest (11 at the time) her two front teeth were badly decayed (they later told us their mother doesn’t allow them to brush) they were all dirty, wearing dirty clothing, had matted hair, and the youngest had a nasty cut on her foot that hasn’t been taken care of. Their toenails were so long that they were curling under. This was all extremely suspect for us, but their grandmother and aunt showed up before we could really do anything. Keep in mind - it took them about 30 minutes to show up, seemingly unbothered that the kids were in what was pretty much a strangers home. We could’ve been anyone. They were stand offish with us.
the kids started visiting regularly throughout last summer - they had only met me twice and they were already clinging to me like a sister. They seemed to not get any kind of attention at home, they were just sent out to play. We noticed the same dirt on their skin for days on end because they hadn’t been bathed, if they saw food out in the open they’d always ask for it. We found out their mother spends all her time online. The youngest showed up with a bruise on her cheek on one occasion, and when I asked about it her and her sister told me nonchalantly that her mother had thrown a phone at her. She always seemed to be nursing some kind of injury. They were put out to play in a garden covered in clutter that they could very easily get hurt playing amongst.
9 times out of 10 if I heard the kids It was because one of them was either in distress or being screamed at - the way they were treated crossed the line from simple discipline to full on verbal abuse. They were regularly taunted and antagonised by their carers and were never offered comfort. I could hear them being screamed at through several concrete walls separating our homes. The oldest added me on social media, and through her posts I could see the condition of their home - clutter and mess everywhere, things falling apart, overcrowded, no sheets on the children’s beds, just an absolute pig sty.
My family discussed our options - we knew that if the police or CPS suddenly got involved in their lives they’d immediately know it was us who tipped them off, given how much time the kids were spending in our company. I live in a relatively rough area - I’ve seen some not great stuff - and as I had dependents in my home I was scared about potentially putting them at risk. We opted to try and find out what school the girls attended instead, and contact them about it. Before we could do so however, they just vanished.
We didn’t see them for pretty much all of autumn, winter, and part of the spring. I have no idea where they were or who they were staying with, but they reappeared about about a month or two ago and they seemed alright. We interacted with them a few times more - I’ve been ill with covid and so couldn’t go out to play with them when they asked. They’d go around gardens collecting grass to give to our guinea pigs, they’re really sweet kids, I can’t emphasise that enough.
A couple days ago we hear one of them being screamed at whilst she was frantically apologising. Like I said before, she wasn’t being yelled at for discipline - the yelling was just venomous. It’s not a way that you should ever talk to a child. Then a couple days after that, two police officers show up at our door and essentially tell us that a neighbour had anonymously tipped them off about the welfare of the kids. We gave thorough statements to them basically recapping everything I’ve said here, and I asked them if the kids were alright, and if anything specific had happened to prompt the neighbour to get the police involved - they said no, which wasn’t true.
I found out last night from our neighbour that the kids had been taken away by protective services three days ago. The oldest had had both of her front teeth knocked out, had a fractured arm, and was black and blue. Yesterday I caught them having clutter collected from their home as they were attempting to clean it up and make conditions liveable in order to get the kids back.
I genuinely can’t describe my anger. I’m not family so if I were to contact the police to ask about the welfare of the kids I’d be shot down. I know they’re safe but I don’t know where, or who they’re with, all I know is that they must be terrified. I’m worried that I’ll never see them again, but even more I’m worried that I will, and that they’ll be placed back in that home with the vile fucks supposed to care for them. I have no idea who inflicted those injuries on the oldest girl, but it doesn’t matter - four adults lived in that house and three of them failed to intervene or prevent this from happening, they’re all guilty in my eyes. I have no idea what to do and I’m just stuck here angry beyond belief. I have to live in the same street as those fuckers, essentially the same building. I live and care for a disabled person who can’t work, we legally collect money from the government as a result - they’re all unemployed and collecting benefits but are perfectly healthy. Their lives haven’t been damaged by addiction, tragedy, injury, or anything like that - all they suffer from is laziness and it infuriates me that people like them manipulate the system. I live in a working class community filled with some of the most hardworking people I’ve ever met, but it’s a few rotten apples like them that give us a bad name.
If I pass them in the street I really doubt I’ll have the strength to not explode man. Sorry for the long post but I am beyond pissed. I hope they get what’s coming to them.
