Forgetting a baby in the back seat of a car- is it a crime?

[2ndtimeluckyX]

I just can not ever imagine this would happen to me! but I bet those people would have said that too! It clearly does happen!
If that ever happened to me I would expect to be severely punished. I would accept whatever punishment was thrown at me. I could not protest any form of "innocence". I could not live with myself. Makes me sick just to think about it.

 

[Jaylynne]

Read the whole thing... Cried the entire time while holding my LO. I made myself read it so I'm scared shitless to be too busy to remember my baby. It's so easy to say it's a crime and they are evil people- they aren't. They just made the horrible mistake of being too busy or overworked. We've all forgotten things. I'm putting a note somewhere visible in my car about remembering the baby.

They are already punishing themselves more than any other human or judicial system could ever impose. They're in their own private hell.

 

[Lina]

Culpability aside, it is a sad indictment of society that we are so busy as to temporarily forget what is most important.

 

[liz1985]

I work in a nursery an we've had a few children arrive late because parents have forgot to drop them off then realised on way or when they've arrived. One mother took her child to work 2mondays in row because LO normally went to grandmas on a Monday but she was on holiday. Luckily none have had such a horrible end. Not sure if it's a crime it's too difficult .

 

[Meredith2010]

I read a very similar article on the Daily Mail website last week; it talked about some of the same cases.

My initial thought was "how can someone forget their child" but as the article explains, the brain and memory are very complex things. And to me the "I could never do that" thought is a dangerous one. Even though I cannot comprehend how someone could forget that their baby was in the car, the fact that it IS theoretically possible and that I'm now aware that it happens has made me a million times more certain that I will do my utmost to ensure that this horrific scenario never happens to me.

But no, as absolutely horrific as it is, I don't think that the parent should be prosecuted for it. I can certainly understand why others think they should though - it's just my own personal opinion.

And as shocking and horrendous as the article is, I'm glad I've read it as I don't think I will ever be able to get out of my car again without mentally going "have I got LO?".

 

[Weezie123]

I feel horribly sick after reading that. Especially one part that I won't repeat. The parents will be tortured for life by what they've done and I feel that is punishment enough. Poor babies.

I can't imagine doing this and I'm sure they couldn't have either.

So desperately sad, words can't cover it.

Look after your little ones x

 

[babyblog]

This is so sad and whilst I hope i never do it I can see it's not impossible. If for example your partner normally drops of to nursery but one day you do it, I can see how someone could potentially forget their child. In fact it was one of my biggest fears when I had my son!I worry that when I have number 2 I could forget them somehow as I'm not used to having two! I'm sure it won't happen but I think the potential is there. Whether it's a crime? Don't know but I think the biggest pnusuhment is the fact the parent has to live with the knowledge they killed their child for the rest of their lives. What could be more punishing than that x

 

[ahcigar1]

I don't even see how someone could forget a baby in the car. My brother accidently locked is 2 kids in the car by accident when his keys fell out of pocket and onto seat when he was getting out. He didn't even wait for someone to come and unlock. He broke the front window then and there to get into car to get his kids out. Don't see how someone could just 'forget'. Deffinitely a crime.

 

[whit.]

There is a case not far from me about a mom who let her baby go to sleep on her bed, put pillows around him so he didn't fall off, and the baby got smothered by the pillows. She is getting charged for neglect. Should she not?

 

[babyblog]

Culpability aside, it is a sad indictment of society that we are so busy as to temporarily forget what is most important.

I'm not sure it's to d with being 'too busy' but rather your mind being in all the things you have to do that day and stoping off the kids being outside of our normal routine.if the child is asleep for example and makes no noise the whole journey I can see how the potential is there

 

[Jaylynne]

Whit, that case is different. She knew her baby was there and there is plenty of info circulating and common sense that pillows and unsupervised sleeping in anything other than crib/bassinet etc is very dangerous. However good her intentions, she put her baby in that position purposefully. These poor parents did not.


Please don't say you'd never ever forget your baby! The probability is low, but the possibility is still there. I think my door handle inside is a good place to put the note about remembering my baby JUST in case.

 

[Weezie123]

It's hard to judge. I also feel sorry for that lady although her intentions to protect her baby were misguided. I'm sure she will suffer forever too. I'm just not sure that locking either of them up in jail will ahieve much. It's for the law to decide. Obviously the babies have been neglected. I just wish they were all still alive :,(

The number of times I read on here that babies have fallen off beds just shows how accidents happen. If these babies died I'm not sure we could blame the mothers for neglect. It's human nature to make mistakes. Sadly these mistakes had tragic consequences.

 

[luz]

Yes!!!!

 

[Lina]

Culpability aside, it is a sad indictment of society that we are so busy as to temporarily forget what is most important.

I'm not sure it's to d with being 'too busy' but rather your mind being in all the things you have to do that day and stoping off the kids being outside of our normal routine.if the child is asleep for example and makes no noise the whole journey I can see how the potential is there

Oh no, I certainly do not think this is a crime but with busy I meant our minds are occupied with so many different things everyday that we forget. (this could be forgetting anything, only that with a child the price is higher) For example many people are glued to their phones, make sure their cars petrol are topped and ensure bills are paid. This to me is entirely innocent as it lacks the necessary intention to qualify as a criminal act.

 

[whit.]

Whit, that case is different. She knew her baby was there and there is plenty of info circulating and common sense that pillows and unsupervised sleeping in anything other than crib/bassinet etc is very dangerous. However good her intentions, she put her baby in that position purposefully. These poor parents did not.

These parents didn't know their child was in the car? or they were neglectful and FORGOT their child was in the car? It's not like they didn't know, they did.

 

[Jaylynne]

In most of the cases, the parents thought they had already dropped off their babies. So no, they didn't realize baby was in the car. The intent wasnt there vs knowingly leaving baby in a perilous situation. The mom should have either watched her LO by staying in same room or put him in a safer sleeping environment.

 

[MizzDeeDee]

I find it hard to fathom a parent forgetting their child in a car.

 

[Audraia]

This is horrible, I can't even imagine how you can forget your little one in the car unless you were under the influence...I mean I guess it obviously happens. If I did it I definatly couldn't live with myself. If my husband did it, I don't know what I would do honestly...I could NEVER forgive that. Just horrible!

 

[XJessicaX]

Thank you for all your replies. My husband found this article when we were discussing car seats for our LO and we decided on a extended RF seat, he said that if we were getting the seat then it MUST be put in the front passenger seat due to the fear that I would forget our LO if it were RF and placed in the back.
I cried after reading it and it shocked me to the point of feeling slightly traumatised by the thought of what the poor babies must have gone through, but I will never forget my LO now.

 

[Spunky]

A lot of the cases the routine had changed. Dad was supposed to drop off kid instead of mom. They were sleeping and quiet. This is one of my biggest fears, not because i think I will do it but because the outcome could be so tragic.