A sad story has come from Nersac, a small town in France. A nine-year-old boy lived by himself in a cold, empty flat for two years after his mother left him to stay with her boyfriend. Between 2020 and 2022, the boy survived by eating sweets, canned food, and getting some help from kind neighbours.

The boy’s mother, 39-year-old Alexandra, lived just 5 km away with her boyfriend. She would visit sometimes to bring food but never took her son with her. For months, no one realised he was living alone because he continued going to school by himself every day.

It was only when the neighbours started feeling something was wrong that they alerted the police. When officers arrived at the flat, they were shocked. The fridge was empty, the dustbin was full of cake wrappers, and there were many empty food boxes. It became clear no adults had been staying there for a long time.

The boy told the police that he had been living alone for two years, with only rare visits from his mother.

Mother caught and arrested

The police found Alexandra at her boyfriend’s home in Cyruil City. She had kept her son a secret from her new neighbours. When questioned, she claimed that her son was living with her—but this was proven false.

Even in court, Alexandra refused to admit she had abandoned her son. When the judge asked why her son said he lived alone for two years, she replied, "I don't understand why he says so." She insisted she took him to school every day, but her phone’s location data showed otherwise.

The court sentenced Alexandra to an 18-month suspended sentence for child neglect. This means she won’t go to jail but must follow strict rules, including wearing an electronic ankle bracelet for six months.

A brave and resilient child

The boy was placed in foster care last year and has since cut all ties with his mother. She has only visited him twice.

One of his teachers said the boy was "very mature, strong, and self-reliant, perhaps more than necessary." He managed to survive cold winters without any heating, slept under many blankets to stay warm, bathed in cold water, and lived in darkness. Even after going through all this, he still went to school every day and did so well that his teachers never realised what he was going through.

This sad story, which happened in 2023, is now being shared widely on social media, leaving many people shocked and heartbroken.

You might also be interested in: Man dies by suicide in Instagram Live, wife watches for 44 minutes without seeking help