General Chat

I dont' think anyone is arguing that this isn't a clear case of neglect in any way. I do see the point some are trying to make that was it possible that they couldn't get out of the car had they wanted to. My answer to that is obviously NO THEY COULDN'T!

If they could have got out, I'm sure they would have, simply because the 2yo would have been distressed and the 8yo would have gone to look for Mummy. Instead the police had to get them out.

Therefore, they COULD have been locked in from the outside, and probably were, by their selfish, lazy, neglectful mother.

Children are generally obedient when they need to be, she says. If Mummy said not to get out of the car or they would be in big trouble they probably would have stayed in the car whatever.

No child or adult should be locked in a car unless it is personal choice.

To leave an 8 year old child responsible for a two year old is more than neglect.
A car can ignite,yes it is a rare occurrence, or a youngster can become distressed for whatever reason, in this case 'heat' and require adult attention.
Before anyone thinks that I have a good imagination I still remembering taking an emergency call where a two year old found matches in the car where he was left for ten minutes. The car was locked and the driver who found the child couldn't manage to smash the windows fast enough.Tragedies do happen . I would throw the book at her. -jl

I think the main point is its just to dangerous to leave children in a car weather its hot or not their vulnerable little people. They could activate the hand brake.

A member said she reported a child being abused but feels no action has been taken dont fear contacting the local authority again its amazing how many slip through the net.

Rob

Saw this on aol news earlier:


A mother has been warned she may face jail after she admitted leaving her three young children in a car in "dangerously high heat".

The youngsters, aged between two and eight, were left for 45 minutes in temperatures of 40C (104F) inside the vehicle.

Kelly Marie Langham, 26, of Carlisle, told magistrates she thought she would only be away for a few minutes as she popped to a city centre shop. She left the car windows slightly wound down but said she did not appreciate that the heat could rise to the extent it did.

A member of the public phoned the police when he heard the repeated sounding of a car horn in Chapel Street, Carlisle, from about 10.40am last Monday and went to investigate.

Pam Ward, prosecuting, said: "The witness said he saw two young children in the small saloon car, together with a baby that was strapped in a seat. The baby was crying, red in the face and distressed. He said the vehicle must have been parked up for 45 minutes."

A police constable arrived at the scene and shortly after saw Langham running to the car. Carlisle Magistrates' Court heard that Langham explained to the officer that she had been to the Cash Converter store in Lowther Street - out of sight of the vehicle - and been been stuck in a queue.

She was arrested and when interviewed stated that she had earlier taken amphetamine at her home. Langham went on to explain she had become dependent on the drug on a daily basis.

Her solicitor, Claire Kirkpatrick, explained to the court that her client did not intend to leave her children in the car for so long in "dangerously high heat".

Langham pleaded guilty to three counts of wilful child neglect or ill-treatment and also possession of amphetamine. The case was adjourned until August 1 for pre-sentence reports but magistrates told her they would not rule out custody at this stage.

The children did not require hospital treatment but were left traumatised after being removed from the car, a police spokesman said last week.

In no way am I defending what the woman did, but I am wondering how much of the trauma was caused by the fact that strange men broke into their car? After all, they did not require hospital treatment. Just a thought.

Huia.

oh,,,that clears that up then,,,,,,,,no mention of the children being removed from the car by police,,,,,,,,,,,its just submised that they did,,,,,,,,perhaps the mother let the overheated distressed children out ??

even so,due to the fact she admitted to drug use that very morning,driving that car placed her children in just as much life risk and danger in an RTA !!........doesnt bear thinking about really.

A good lesson she may learn from this and get her head clear of drug use.

Well I wouldn't dream of blaming the person who actually removed them from the car for their distress, as they shouldn't have been left there in the first place. Besides, it did say the baby at least was already very distressed when a member of the public noticed them shut in the car.

So I would say the trauma was caused by their being left, and getting too hot, rather than the fuss of getting them out. It probably did scare them a bit, but I'd rather that than leave them there to die.

I was not say I was blaming anybody for the trauma. I just wondered if the report made it look as if the children were all traumatised from being locked in a hot car. Babies are well known for crying their heads off if mum leaves them for even one minute. Yes, she certainly deserves her punishment, whatever it might be.

Huia.