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    Jan74Isha Aran
    9/14/14 5:39pm

    Fuck, man. The police really has to follow through on hoarders. I know that it is not usually dead babies, but there are usually abused animals, and in this case, live children living under those conditions. Unacceptable.

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      HappinessIsFreeCondomsJan74
      9/14/14 6:29pm

      I knew a woman who died in a house fire, trapped by her hoard, firefighters unable to reach her. The fire was particularly difficult to put out because of the amount of trash and stuff in the place. Hoarding can become a public safety / health/ fire hazard.

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      Jan74HappinessIsFreeCondoms
      9/14/14 6:38pm

      I used to rent next to a "low level hoarder" - meaning, inside of the house was ok, but he had a shithole shed and garage piled to the top with crap, and raised chickens in a townhouse alongside dogs he didn't really care for - and my entire life was dedicated to pest control, cause his yard was infested with mice and roaches that would attempt to climb into my house. I sprayed constantly, called professional exterminators, and had so many electronic devices that I sold the lot of them when I moved to a nice, clean condo.

      So yeah, they really destroy the lives of everyone around them.

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    Emma GolddiggerIsha Aran
    9/14/14 5:40pm

    This is too horrifying to talk about directly, so, instead, let's talk about why you can get charged with "concealing an out of wedlock fetal death." I mean, I get that they're trying to cut down on abortions that aren't performed by licensed professionals, but what the hell does wedlock have to do with anything?

    Edit: I love that most of us had the same reaction to this article!

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      Lana BananaEmma Golddigger
      9/14/14 5:41pm

      I know. Archaic much?

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      WallflowerEmma Golddigger
      9/14/14 5:42pm

      I was going to ask the same thing.

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    Dr.BombayIsha Aran
    9/14/14 5:44pm

    Either you used a stock photo or that is the nicest looking condemned house ever.

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      HarvestMoonDr.Bombay
      9/14/14 6:15pm

      I know right? I'd aspire to that level of condemnation. Here's a photo of the real deal...

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      Belle Wicke the Science ChickHarvestMoon
      9/14/14 6:51pm

      On the outside that's still not *awful*. Definitely doesn't scream "children are totally safe here" though. I've definitely seen worse-looking outsides.

      But the outsides of houses are often very deceptive. Our house doesn't look that great outside (it needs a good washing and maybe painting), but the inside is actually quite nice (it was renovated before we moved in). This is very likely a reverse issue with a more extreme low-end of the spectrum.

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    nancydrew22Isha Aran
    9/14/14 5:56pm

    My first thought as a teacher is how did those kids go to school everyday and not have any teacher in any grade notice something was up and call, whatever the equivalent of DCFS is in MA, all educators are mandated reporters and while children do whatever they can to conceal abuse, and teachers are overloaded to the extreme, this would be something that would probably come across from at least one of those children if they are attending public school at least some of the time.

    Heartbreaking..and also WTF out of wedlock fetal death?

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      septembergrrlnancydrew22
      9/14/14 6:47pm

      I just read a story this week about a little boy in another state who was beaten to death by his stepmom. He was in daycare until a month or so before his death, and the daycare providers had reported his injuries something like a dozen times. Every time the reports basically got thrown out for lack of detail. The few times they were investigated, the parents told the social worker the kid fell a lot and that was that. So, wouldn't surprise me if the older kids' injuries were reported but it never went anywhere.

      I swear, the miracle is that kids *ever* get rescued.

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      iveneverheardofyounancydrew22
      9/14/14 7:15pm

      The kids were removed prior to the start of this school year, but honestly, there is no way this was some sort of massive downside by the mother over the summer. Teachers had to have noticed last year, but as others have said, it's certainly possible child services didn't follow through on reports.

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    HarvestMoonIsha Aran
    9/14/14 6:13pm

    This article tells more about this very sad story, with this final detail...

    As he left, he said, he noticed a small wooden sign decorating an area above the stove. It read: "#1 Mom."

    http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/09/...

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      HoofLemonHarvestMoon
      9/14/14 6:47pm

      That's heartbreaking

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      Aurelius RoblesHarvestMoon
      9/14/14 6:50pm

      I thought you were making a joke. Then I read that article. Christ...

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    suckabagofdicksIsha Aran
    9/14/14 5:59pm

    Reports say there was also a man living in the house—his role in the situation is unknown and he has not been charged with anything.

    WTF? Ok so lets assume that he is not the father of the children but why is he not named and charged. As an adult he is just as guilty if he allowed this to happen and said nothing.

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      froggyalleymichigansuckabagofdicks
      9/14/14 6:05pm

      I was wondering the same thing. There were TWO adults in that household. Not defending her by any means, but living in that mess and allowing children to live in that mess just isnt right. Silence equals consent. He's probably just as whacked as she is!

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      suckabagofdicksfroggyalleymichigan
      9/14/14 6:20pm

      Exactly! TWO adults but only the woman is named and charged. Why am I not surprised...? Because that is the world we live in.

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    RegalAlienIsha Aran
    9/14/14 5:52pm

    Those poor poor kids. Hat tip to the ten year old. It takes a brave kid to do what he did.

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      dontcallmemimiRegalAlien
      9/14/14 6:44pm

      He didn't. He told his friend that he "can't make the babies stop crying". The friend told his own mom, who thought there were only two kids living in the house. AND, the horrible mom was supposed to be on the Cape. So the friend's mom went to the house to investigate and saw the kids in squalor and called 911 immediately. When cops came to the home, they looked around, opened a closet and told everyone to get out right away. It's such a horrific story and I can only hope the children get the help they need. The poor child thought it was all normal and didn't ask for help. Bravery in the face of all that is really too light a word. I hope he gets a good life.

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      opheeliadontcallmemimi
      9/14/14 6:48pm

      Considering how he was probably conditioned into never talking about what went on at home, what he did was brave, even if it was out of fear.

      ETA: ESPECIALLY if it was out of fear.

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    lalaloveIsha Aran
    9/14/14 6:04pm

    I live in Massachusetts, and this has been ALL over the news. It's horrifying. I'm a social work graduate student concentrating on children and families so this is particularly interesting to me how the system had somehow disturbingly failed to detect these children's horrible living conditions. DCF in Mass has been under intense fire lately, and this is another horrible situation that had to have been occurring for years and years undetected by the department. So incredibly sad for these children.

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      Cocopop!lalalove
      9/14/14 8:04pm

      It's sad how you never hear anything about Child Protective Services unless something goes wrong. Those people do their best to ensure the safety of children every day. Hats off to them.

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    HthIsha Aran
    9/14/14 5:59pm

    I'm kind of confused as to why the other grown-up living in the house faces no charges whatsoever. How is just ignoring all of this not child neglect/endangerment, whatever your relationship is to the children you live with?

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      chymeeraIsha Aran
      9/14/14 5:37pm

      wait what's a out of wedlock fetal death and how is that any different from a normal fetal death and is that a abortion I'm so confused

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        EwTangchymeera
        9/14/14 5:48pm

        this explains it: http://www.boston.com/news/local/mas...

        [On the current list of charges against Erika Murray, who was arrested after three dead infants were found in her Blackstone home, one stands out: "fetal death concealment out of wedlock."

        "Fetal death concealment" is simple enough: hiding the death of a child in such a way that investigators cannot determine if the baby was born alive nor the manner of its death. It's the "out of wedlock" bit that's tricky. It suggests that if the fetal death concealment were to occur within a marriage, it would not be a criminal act. In fact, no law against fetal death concealment in wedlock appears on the books. Apparently, hiding the manner of your child's death is fine in Massachusetts as long as you're married when you do it..

        Here's the full text of Massachusetts General Law Part IV, Title I, Chapter 272, Section 22:

        A parent who conceals the death of the issue of such parent, which if born alive would be a child born out of wedlock, so that it cannot be ascertained whether it was born alive or, if born alive, whether it was murdered, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year.

        Tim Connolly, spokesperson for the Office of the Worcester County District Attorney, told Boston.com that "we charged that because it fits the elements" of the crime.

        "It's a serious thing that the person who's charged with the crime did," Connolly said.

        Serious to the tune of a hundred dollar fine or a year in prison.

        To put that in perspective, "exhibit[ing] for hire an albino person" (Chapter 272, Section 33) will get you a maximum fine of 500 dollars. Adultery (Chapter 272, Section 14) —yes, that's still technically illegal—means up to three years in state prison.

        Connolly said he could not recall another instance of someone being charged with fetal death concealment out of wedlock, "but I've only been around for eight years."]

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        Scentless ApprenticeEwTang
        9/14/14 9:29pm

        way to take your job seriously, Tim.

        What a knob.

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