How NYCs lax child-protection standards failed Promise Cotton

“They didn’t do s–t.” That’s how Sabrina Coleson described the inaction of the Administration of Children’s Services in the case of Promise Cotton.The 4-year-old Bronx girl was found Friday in her family’s Bronx apartment after living for two weeks with the remains of her deceased brother Nazir Millien, age 8, and her mother Lisa Cotton.Coleson said ACS rang the doorbells of neighbors like her the day before the horror scene was discovered — but did nothing.People in the building had been complaining for weeks about a foul odor that smelled like “death,” The Post reported.Police officers, too, had visited the apartment in response to an anonymous 911 call.Neighbors told them of their concern, saying they hadn’t seen the mother for weeks — but cops would not break down the door.Only when a relative let herself into the apartment did anyone discover Promise, who had survived by eating chocolate while sitting on the bed with her mother’s corpse.More than 60 years have passed since 28-year-old Kitty Genovese was raped and stabbed to death outside her Kew Gardens apartment complex.The incident became infamous when The New York Times published an article claiming that 38 of her neighbors had heard her cries, but didn’t come to her aid — or even call the police.Years later we learned the report was a gross exaggeration, and many people had done what they could to help Genovese.Despite their callous reputation, the truth is New Yorkers are decent human beings who care about their neighbors — particularly about helpless children.

When we see something, we do in fact say something.But that won’t matter unless our public servants actually respond.Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story.

In this case, as seems to be increasingly common, they didn�...