Mifflin Street apartment complex in Madison, Wis. Photo: WMTV News/Youtube
Seven children, ranging in age from 2 to 13, were found abandoned in a Madison, Wisconsin apartment, living in what police described as “deplorable” conditions. Authorities say the kids were left unsupervised for an entire week before neighbors raised the alarm.
The Madison Police Department (MPD) responded to a call on February 28 after Child Protective Services (CPS) received disturbing reports from concerned residents of an apartment complex on Mifflin Street. Neighbors suspected the kids had been alone for days and alerted officials.
When officers arrived, they found the home in shocking disarray. “Garbage was overflowing, toilets were broken, and feces and urine had piled up,” said MPD Public Information Officer Stephanie Fryer. Clothes and trash were scattered everywhere, and the children had been fending for themselves. A kind-hearted neighbor had been leaving food outside the door, but the kids had no adult supervision the entire time.
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Authorities located the children’s mother in Illinois, though why she left or when she planned to return remains unclear. She has since come back to Wisconsin and is now in contact with police. CPS has placed the children in the care of a trusted family friend for now.
Despite the alarming conditions, no arrests or charges have been made as of yet. Both the MPD and Dane County Child Protective Services have yet to release further details.
If you suspect child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org. Calls are confidential and available 24/7 in over 170 languages.
