Do you think parents who forget their child in a hot car and the child dies should be prosecuted?

Question

There seem to be few if any penalties for doing this. While if parent truly loves their child they will suffer, it still sends a very wrong message if nothing is required of them for killing thier child.

What few prosecutions there are seem to be unevenly meted out base on the income of the person parent of child who leaves his/ her child in the Ford pinto is more likely to be prosecuted than the one in the Mercedes.

What's to keep someone from doing this on purpose knowing nothing will happen?
Should they not at least do home confinement and 2 years of public service for this?
I would think they'd want to do something to prevent another parent from making this "mistake".
I also think it would make parents more mindful about not forgeting their kids if you always see that there's some penalty for this.
Wow, like all these people went to jail let me check to make sure my child's not in the back seat.

Do any of you remember a couple of times when Walmart cameras caught parent walloping their kids and they were arrested. After there was all kinds of talk about well I should be able to wallop my kid if I want to, but you know if they now could see there were tangible consequences even losing their kids for doing that. I don't think it stopped anyone from hitting their kids that were determined to but it did give a public pause. There needs to be a HUGE public pause about these incidents.

Answer 1

I've caught about four separate cases of this on my local t.v. news in the past less than two weeks. I don't understand how anybody can forget a small child in car, especially when the temperature is extremely high. A Car Park attendant discovered a little two-year old boy crying in a locked car, and his mother was finally located in some gambling place. It was fortunately at night, but it is still utterly inexcusable. I am sure that she had this, and her other child removed from her custody, but you can bet the Child Protective Services will send the kids right back to her. Another very small baby died when its grandmother "forgot" him in the back seat for about eight hours in extreme heat.

You're right, there is something utterly out of wack when these people are not severely prosecuted, but I don't personally know of any statistics that suggest the wealth (based on status of the vehicle) of the guilty party has anything to do with it. I think these cases ought to be absolutely zero tolerance - no excuse accepted. I don't believe it would take too many severe punishments like jail time and a fine to get people's attention.

I think one problem might be that the people who mostly seem guilty of this have other children, so they don't want to put that woman in jail because now the children have to be cared for at public expense. And they dont want to fine them either because they don't have much money and it means taking what they do have away from the children. But I believe we have to forget that and start making an example of these individuals who, for whatever reason, recklessly endanger the lives of small children, and in some cases cause that child's actual death.

Answer 2

Just last night on the news, there was a story about a pediatrician in St. Louis who left her six month old in the car while she went into a hospital. The baby died. Most of the time we tend to stereotype deadbeat parents as the ones who do this sort of thing. That's obviously not the case. This was a well educated, professional woman who as a pediatrician should have known better than anyone the consequences of leaving a child in a car.

I think there should be some sort of legal penalty. Yes, the parent is going to be haunted by the death of his/her child forever and some people think this is punishment enough. But I don't understand how you just "forget" your child is in the car. As a parent, your number one priority should be your child. I'm not positive that prison time is appropriate, but I do think there should be a requirement of extensive community service, such as telling your story to other parents to help educate them about the danger. Having to relive the incident would be punishment for the parent, but at the same time possibly prevent this from happening to another child and parent.

Answer 3

Yes I heard that on the news this morning, and you ask how could someone do that,.....all one has to do is look in the back seat and make sure the child is where the child should be, a quick phone call, what does it take, I do not know.
I do not know about the procsecuting is the way to go, this is a very touchy subject, no parent whould want this to happen.
I do not have an answer for this just a thought.

Answer 4

You bet your booties they should. This is an occurrence that seems to be more focused on recently although it is an age old problem. As with anything, the laws will soon change to include prison time for these uncaring parents and/or individuals. At least this is my hope as it seems to be more in the public eye now due to the media. I mean that they are trying to pass a bill that will prohibit anyone from smoking in a car that also has a child present. Why wouldn't they include passing a law concerning death by stupidity? My hats off to you for bringing a good question to the posts.

Answer 5

Regardless of income they should be punished...How do you "forget" a child.... I'm sorry but there is no excuse, I'm a parent of 1 and expecting #2 in march, and there is no way I could "forget" my child. That is a lame excuse.

IMO, the people should have jail time, if they have any other children they should be taken away, b/c heck if they can't remember one then they are likely to forget the others, probation, and heavy fines.
Or they should be locked in a hot car till they die as well.

Answer 6

Hell yes, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. This is meant for people who leave newborns, infants, toddlers in cars unattended. Now if you leave a 3 year old in a car, with say an 11 year old older sibling that is a different story. As long as the car is runnning, air conditioner or heater is on, and the doors are locked. People who leave one year olds in a car for extended periods of time (even if they don't die) deserve to be prosecuted.

Answer 7

i think that people that leave their kids in a car and in turn that child dies the parents shouldn't just get a slap on the hand or community service. they basically took that childs life from them. They should go to jail. anyone who shoots somebody goes to jail why not when you leave your child in a car to die. and how do you forget your own child? i look at my son everyday and it scares me to death. i'm afraid someone who is supposed to care for him will not take care of him or "forget him." i would never "forget" my son in a hot car for many hours. i don't think that is a very good excuse and people shouldn't believe that is an excuse either.

Answer 8

Okay number one if they loved their child, how the hell did they forget them in a hot car?! That is so stupid! Yeah they should pay, truthfully I believe we should lock them in a hot car, let them see what their child went through and right before they die, pull em out and throw them in jail for the rest of their lives! Maybe if we had stricter policies, like you steal, you lose a hand And then maybe we wouldn't be worried so much about our jails filling up so fast!!!

Answer 9

First off, how do you forget the child that was in your body for 9 months? The little bad punks are the light of my life. Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

Answer 10

I have to agree with the others who have voiced their thoughts. I have two girls and I guarded them with my life. They have children and I always tell them as I told myself, "Watch them like a hawk because anything can happen." They depend on you. Today you hear about so many "forgetting their children" that I wonder if many of them did. There has to be some form of accountability. Anyone who breaks the law is accountable. How many children will pay that high price for us to take action. Peta laws enforce strict laws for abusing animals and their deaths. Aren't our children more valuable?