On Saturday, June 17, four children were discovered at a South Boston apartment amongst drugs, alcohol, sex toys, and a corpse.
According to the Boston Herald, first responders were called to the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing complex on Saturday morning after receiving a report that a man had gone into cardiac arrest.
Upon entering the unit, firefighters were shocked to find several adult males lingering in a derelict apartment. After continuing their search, the emergency response team also discovered four children between the ages of five and ten, who appeared to have been “hidden” by one of the men.
The apartment, according to the Herald, was littered with drugs, sex toys, and alcohol.
It is currently unclear if the children are related to any of the adults in the apartment. Since news of the horrifying scene began to circulate, Boston City Council member Michael Flaherty described the situation as “sickening.”
Flaherty told the Boston Herald on Monday that the individual found deceased had died from an overdose and “a man wearing a wig claiming to be the father of the kids was found in a back bedroom.”
Despite none of the apartment occupants’ identities being made public, several sources did confirm that “some of the adults were dressed as women.”
In the incident report, the firefighters also mentioned that “all of the adult parties were being uncooperative and did not provide helpful information.” The report added: “All adults present denied having children inside the apartment.”
News of the situation sparked outrage on social media, with many users concerned and confused about the presence of minors in the unit, as well as why more questions weren’t being raised by the mainstream media.
Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins has condemned the unsafe conditions the children were subjected to and is calling for a more thorough investigation to be undertaken.
“No child should be exposed to what these children were allegedly exposed to.”
President of the Boston City Council, Ed Flynn, mirrored Collins’ sentiments, offering suggestions on how to prevent incidents like this from happening in the future:
“This underscores the need for oversight into BHA inspections and eviction practices, security efforts in developments, and protocols to ensure children are safe in every BHA apartment.”
According to the Boston Herald, the Boston Fire Department also filed a “51A form with the appropriate state agency,” which is used to report children who appear to be suffering from abuse and neglect.
