Cruel Parents Abandon 5YO In Another City To “Teach Her A Lesson”, Neighbor Who Finds Her Calls CPS

Let’s be honest. Every kid deserves a parent, but not every parent deserves a kid. Some folks are just so clueless when it comes to raising their children that it can leave you wondering how they were allowed to have any in the first place. 

One guy recently turned to an online community to share how he’d stumbled across his five-year-old neighbor abandoned in another city. Naturally concerned, he brought the kid home but couldn’t believe her parents’ excuse for why they left her stranded.

More info: Reddit

Every child deserves a parent, but the sad reality is that not all parents deserve a child

Three family members standing outdoors in a grassy yard, representing a neighbor who found a child and contacted CPS.

Image credits: Jonathan Castañeda / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

One guy was startled when he came across his 5-year-old neighbor alone and stranded in the city where he works

Neighbor finds 5-year-old daughter abandoned in another city, calls child protection services quickly for help.

Text on a white background sharing a personal story about living with parents to save money before moving out.

Text excerpt about neighbors and a five-year-old daughter, related to parents abandoning child and CPS intervention.

Neighbor finds 5YO daughter abandoned in another city, calls CPS quickly after parents leave her as a lesson.

Parents abandon 5-year-old daughter in another city as a lesson, neighbor finds her and quickly calls CPS for help.

Young girl with backpack walking alone outside, highlighting parents abandoning 5YO daughter and neighbor calling CPS quickly.

Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

The terrified little girl explained to him that her parents had just dumped her and told her to find her own way home as “punishment”

Text excerpt about a neighbor describing finding a 5-year-old girl abandoned in another city and contacting CPS quickly.

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Text excerpt describing a neighbor witnessing and reacting to a 5-year-old girl abandoned in another city by her parents.

Text on white background describing a 5-year-old girl with teary eyes asking to stay after being abandoned, prompting a neighbor to call CPS.

Neighbor finds abandoned 5YO daughter in another city and quickly calls CPS after parents leave her as a lesson.

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Bewildered, he made sure the kid got home safely, but couldn’t believe his ears when her parents told him why they’d done it

Text excerpt discussing neighbors confronting a mother after a 5-year-old child was abandoned in another city as a lesson.

Text excerpt from a report about parents abandoning their 5YO daughter as a lesson, with a neighbor calling CPS quickly.

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Comment discussing CPS involvement after parents abandon 5-year-old daughter as a harsh punishment in another city.

Neighbor finds abandoned 5YO daughter in another city and calls CPS quickly after parents leave her as a lesson.

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After yelling at the kid’s mom, the guy wasted no time getting child protective services involved for the parents’ reckless and ghastly behavior

The original poster (OP), a 22-year-old living in Europe, couldn’t believe what he stumbled into after work one day. His upstairs neighbors, who already had a rocky relationship with his family, decided to “teach” their 5-year-old daughter a lesson… by abandoning her in another city and telling her to find her way home alone.

The little girl, terrified and crying, somehow made it to the train station, where she spotted OP. She obviously had no idea how to read bus schedules or train routes and was basically stranded.

OP comforted her and brought her home safely, furious that her parents had risked her life just to make a point. When he and his mother confronted the girl’s parents, they defended themselves, claiming the child “needed to learn responsibility.” They showed no guilt whatsoever, only stubborn justification.

Now, OP’s family plans to contact child protective services, insisting the parents crossed every possible line. He tells netizens he still can’t stop thinking about how close this child came to real danger, and how, if he hadn’t failed his driving test that week, he might not have been there to save her at all. 

Honestly? It’s horrible just thinking about what might have happened to that little girl had OP not been in the right place at the right time. As for her parents, talk about taking “tough love” too far, right? While parenting isn’t one-size-fits-all, just what are the different types? And where do OP’s unhinged neighbors fit in? We went looking for answers.

Five-year-old girl standing outside looking thoughtful after parents abandon her in another city as a lesson.

Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The pros at Psychology Today say research begun by developmental psychologist Diana Baumrind in the 1960s identified three main parenting styles: authoritarian, indulgent, and authoritative. Then, later research threw in a fourth: neglectful. Not every parent fits perfectly into one of these boxes, but they pretty accurately describe how a lot of people approach raising their kids.

Authoritarian parenting is about sticking to rules, a dominating style, and a lot of control. Indulgent parents flip that script; they’re super attentive and provide tons of warmth and interaction, but rules? Constraints? Not really their thing. 

Authoritative parents hit a sweet spot, encouraging independence while also setting clear limits and boundaries. Finally, neglectful parenting is when parents basically phone it in and are happy to let the tablets and TV do the babysitting, or, in OP’s scenario, the downstairs neighbor.

Caitlin Geng from Medical News Today explains that childhood trauma can occur when a child witnesses or experiences an event that makes them feel threatened, unsafe, or unable to cope. The scariest part? These experiences don’t just fade away; they can shape a person’s emotions and behavior well into adulthood, potentially triggering mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety.

Here’s hoping that OP and his family’s evidence will help CPS serve justice on the monstrous neighbors and get the traumatized little girl the help she needs. Otherwise, who knows what her parents will pull next?

What would you have done if you’d found yourself in OP’s shoes? Do you think getting CPS involved is enough, or should he loop in law enforcement, too? Share your thoughts in the comments!

In the comments, readers slammed the kid’s parents for being so irresponsible and strongly suggested the original poster get the police involved too

Neighbor finds abandoned 5YO daughter in another city and quickly contacts CPS for help.

Comments discussing a 5-year-old girl abandoned by parents, with a neighbor offering help and referring to CPS intervention.

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Reddit user asks for update after CPS involvement in case of parents abandoning 5YO daughter, neighbor calls CPS fast to help.

Comment expressing outrage over parents abandoning 5-year-old daughter in another city as a lesson.

Neighbor finds abandoned 5-year-old girl in another city, calls CPS quickly after parents leave her as a lesson.

Comment discussing dangers of parents abandoning 5YO daughter in another city and neighbor's quick CPS call response.

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Comment expressing outrage about parents abandoning their 5-year-old daughter and neighbor reporting to CPS quickly.

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Neighbor finds abandoned 5YO daughter in another city and contacts CPS quickly after parents leave her as a lesson.

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