Usually I am the voice of reason and stick to the whole "innocent until proven guilty".
I'm sorry, I have an issue with ALL of these cases. In my 50 yrs I've watched numerous amounts of children ranging in age from newborn to pre teen, I've raised my own children, I've cared for nieces, nephews, grandchildren. In all those years not once have I ever forgotten a child was 1. in my care and 2. in my frigging car!
How does one simply forget a child??? Are you that preoccupied with your drama, phone, friends, shopping, job whatever that your child is an afterthought in your life? I have a real issue seeing any of these cases as accidents. To me they're outright neglect / endangerment on the part of the caregiver.
Now? Now I see posts on fb that they want you to put your left shoe into the car with baby so you don't forget they're there. WTF?? Hmm. Ok. So now we've just lowered baby's status even further.
It is about responsibility people.
My mother used to leave her weeks old infant where ever she happened to go. (me) Seems although she had 4 other small children the baby just oops! constantly slipped her mind. I was left "accidentally" at friends & family and stores......... And she still happens to laugh when she tells the stories. I didn't think it funny when I heard those stories as a child, I find them disturbing when I recall them as an adult. At age 18 months Mom nearly gave my grandma and great aunt strokes because she just up and left me in a store "assuming" one of them had me. Seems no one had me. I was found a couple hours later........in the back of the store munching cookies with a motherly cashier. by the way it wasn't mom who found me, it was grandma.
There was the time too when mom left a 2 yr old unattended riding a tricycle on a busy street while she ran in to answer the phone. Evidently that must have been some phone call because that 2 yr old had time to ride into the street in heavy traffic..........nearly get hit from BOTH directions......jammed up traffic all up and down the street while one driver tried to find the parents........and golly gee mom was "shocked" to have this strange man bang on her front door and ask her "Lady is this YOUR kid?" and then proceed to bawl her out something fierce. (me again)
Mom left us in the car unattended all of the time regardless of weather...
Honestly, though.........how does one "forget" you put your child into the car? These days it's not just setting them onto the seat. You have to strap them into these infant seats that are a major pain in the backside. I think you're going to remember having done that. No to mention it's a bit difficult to get out of the car without spotting the child sitting in the back for most vehicles.
It seems that in recent years children being forgotten in vehicles is becoming more common instead of less. Parents need to get their priorities straight, or they need to be charged with gross neglect, child endangerment, and manslaughter. I "forgot" is a pretty lame excuse when you get right down to it. It wouldn't wash in any other situation, so why do we tolerate it in this one?
Of course they still have to be judged on individual circumstances but the knowledge of how deadly a hot car is has been out there for decades......there is no one who can claim ignorance.
For many of these parents it is simple neglect out of laziness. Maybe they don't think it will be their child who bakes to death......and when it happens they're horrified. Sorry, can't drum up a whole lot of empathy. If you can't think that far ahead you don't need children.
This dude?? Deserves to be drug about naked over hot coals........until he slowly.......very f-ing slowly cooks to death. I want a front row seat. This guy planned it out, checked the baby to see if he was dead yet........ He'd better be thrilled I can get no where near him.
Maybe it's high time we start making the punishments fit the crimes too. Bet our prisons would start emptying out quickly.
Harsh? Maybe so. But sometimes it's just necessary.