Mother charged with neglect

[Julia]

I can't believe this:
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/m...-1226354734032

A mother left her children in the car in an undercover park, ensuring they locked the doors as she left. The children were aged 10, 5 and 3.
She was gone 10 minutes as she purchased three items from a supermarket.

Some busybody has contacted the police and the mother has been charged with neglect.

This seems crazy to me and a huge intrusion on the mother's capacity to make a reasonable decision.

What do others think?

[Glen48]

Guess Yes and No the busy body thought they were doing the right thing, no one knows for sure how long the kids were there, Check the kids out and slap on the wrist for no reason other then to make some one feel good.

[skc]

I can't believe this:
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/m...-1226354734032

A mother left her children in the car in an undercover park, ensuring they locked the doors as she left. The children were aged 10, 5 and 3.
She was gone 10 minutes as she purchased three items from a supermarket.

Some busybody has contacted the police and the mother has been charged with neglect.

This seems crazy to me and a huge intrusion on the mother's capacity to make a reasonable decision.

What do others think?

Action of Mother - Certainly shouldn't be condoned imo. No matter how well the kids behave or how short a time she'd be away for...

Action of passerby - Reasonable. I would have done the same thing. It's not about respecting the Mother's decision making. It's about making sure the kids are safe.

Action of police / court - Probably over the top, if I was the police officer I would have told her be more careful rather than pressing charges. Fortunately, the mother was released without imposing a penalty. I also hope she won't have a criminal record because of the guilty plead.

[Starcraftmazter]

I can't believe this:
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/m...-1226354734032

A mother left her children in the car in an undercover park, ensuring they locked the doors as she left. The children were aged 10, 5 and 3.
She was gone 10 minutes as she purchased three items from a supermarket.

Some busybody has contacted the police and the mother has been charged with neglect.

This seems crazy to me and a huge intrusion on the mother's capacity to make a reasonable decision.

What do others think?

I was hoping this would be a story about some bogan doing something stupid, and I would point out that the baby bonus was introduced exactly 10 years ago - the age of the oldest kid, etc.

No but really, it does seem rather absurd. It's not really anyone's business to intrude in the lives of others. I can understand if she was getting her nails done or some stupid nonsense like that, but 10 minutes to get groceries, while leaving the A/C on seems more than reasonable.

I don't understand what gives government the right to interfere with peoples' lives in this manner. If this happened to be a wife of mine, I would without hesitation sue everyone involved for emotional damages, and probably yell at some people about some libertarian ideology of the government having no right to interfere in my family's life, etc.

[Vesupria]

Action of passerby - Reasonable. I would have done the same thing. It's not about respecting the Mother's decision making. It's about making sure the kids are safe.

Fairly hard for the passerby to tell how long they had been there, I assume.

[breaker]

"Wife of mine"

LOL

[Tink]

Its a hard call Julia.

Agree with skc's post

Police should have given her a warning, if she has no prior offences.
Alot of responsibility given to the older child leaving the motor on.
I think the bad has outweighed the good, with leaving children in cars.
Agree it would have been for the safety of the children.

[BradK]

I can't believe this:

A mother left her children in the car in an undercover park, ensuring they locked the doors as she left. The children were aged 10, 5 and 3.
She was gone 10 minutes as she purchased three items from a supermarket.

What do others think?

I was reading with my class Sally Morgan's My Place a couple of years ago, and there was a section about her being locked in the car at the pub car park for most of Saturday, dad bringing out a packet of chips for the kids every now and then.

The class was up in arms!

I remember being locked in the car on a hot day as a kid on a Saturday (windows rolled down) while dad was in the TAB at the pub - and he'd bring out a lemon squash and a packet of chips! Great bloke!

Early 1980s!

I would NEVER do that to my kids - but those were the times. Just remembered all that when I read this story.

Brad

[dutchie]

I can't believe this:
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/m...-1226354734032

A mother left her children in the car in an undercover park, ensuring they locked the doors as she left. The children were aged 10, 5 and 3.
She was gone 10 minutes as she purchased three items from a supermarket.

Some busybody has contacted the police and the mother has been charged with neglect.

This seems crazy to me and a huge intrusion on the mother's capacity to make a reasonable decision.

What do others think?

I think it is neglect and that the police were right to charge her.

I realise that you must always use common sense in these cases.

But considering the age of the children I think they are too young to be left alone.
Worst case scenarios:-
1. Someone could have attempted to highjack the car.
2. A fire occurs in the supermarket and the mother in the panic is unable to get back to the car. The children not realising the potential danger stay in the car.
3. A bad person abducts one or more of the children.
4. One of the children injures themselves or chokes on something they have swallowed.

Having children is a commitment and responsibility that you can never give up or compromise.

[macca]

Would I do it, NO, but I can recall being tempted when the kids were small.

In todays world she was almost certain to be reported so she can't complain about it. It would only need one of the kids to shout or cry and someone would report it for certain.

The world is now full of people eager to tell others how they should act, almost are the "do as I say" types even thought they themselves are far from perfect.

[nomore4s]

I think it is neglect and that the police were right to charge her.

I realise that you must always use common sense in these cases.

But considering the age of the children I think they are too young to be left alone.
Worst case scenarios:-
1. Someone could have attempted to highjack the car.
2. A fire occurs in the supermarket and the mother in the panic is unable to get back to the car. The children not realising the potential danger stay in the car.
3. A bad person abducts one or more of the children.
4. One of the children injures themselves or chokes on something they have swallowed.

Having children is a commitment and responsibility that you can never give up or compromise.

I agree with this. While it all ended okay and there was no need for the police to take the matter any further then a warning imo, what happens if something does go wrong?

If something bad had happened (no matter how unlikely) how would that have altered the perception of what the mother did?

[numbercruncher]

10 minutes in a public carpark outside of your field of vision is irresponsible.

Id like to know what the Mother went and purchased that was so important ...... anyway

.... another example of wasted money/time (hers and taxpayers) as she was discharged absolutely and sounds like she is a nice person who was polite and co-operative ....

Charging people for this kind of stuff just encourages lying to Police - with hindsight knowing youd be charged she should of denied it -

An official caution should of been issued at station level and the Cops that spent the day filling out the paperwork , attending court , eating donuts etc should of been out on the street chasing after these Bikies who are having a war and posing a real threat to our community ....

Our priorities are becoming more and more screwed up ....

[Logique]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/m...-1226354734032
...vehicle in an undercover carpark at The Gap shopping centre with the motor and air conditioning running on April 1 this year.

Is 10 minutes too long to control your kids in the shopping centre.

With the motor and aircon running? I'd have reported her too.

[Gringotts Bank]

10 year old - fine.
5 year old no way!
3 year old??? Crazy.

Not sure about the punishment. Maybe edumacation would be more useful. Although if she was a ratbag that ain't gonna work.

Julia, where are your nesting instincts?!!

[MACCA350]

When our three kids were around their ages there's no way in hell they would be left in the car out of sight like that.
Even now (15, 13 & 10) they are never left in the car out of sight. The closest we get is when filling up petrol, or withdrawing from an ATM....and in both cases the vehicle is within sight, if it's not within sight then the kids come for a walk.

As for the lady in question, it's a tough call where to draw the line. Where does the rights of the parent end and the the responsibility of community and police begin. It's a bit of a moving target I suppose, but I believe the bystander did what any concerned citizen should do. Though IMO being charged with neglect is probably taking it a bit far, a warning would have sufficed. Then again if nothing was done, next time may not have ended so well.

Cheers

[awg]

Some busybody has contacted the police and the mother has been charged with neglect.

This seems crazy to me and a huge intrusion on the mother's capacity to make a reasonable decision.

What do others think?

I probably would not have bothered reporting

However, I would question anyones "reasonable capacity" leaving 3 small kids in a car with the motor RUNNING, I know of 2 bad instances from that.

Apart from anything else !


If you get caught out doing something stupid, you got to expect a boot up the backside (public humiliation)

[Julia]

I think it is neglect and that the police were right to charge her.

I realise that you must always use common sense in these cases.

But considering the age of the children I think they are too young to be left alone.
Worst case scenarios:-
1. Someone could have attempted to highjack the car.
2. A fire occurs in the supermarket and the mother in the panic is unable to get back to the car. The children not realising the potential danger stay in the car.
3. A bad person abducts one or more of the children.
4. One of the children injures themselves or chokes on something they have swallowed.

Having children is a commitment and responsibility that you can never give up or compromise.

All good points, dutchie.

10 minutes in a public carpark outside of your field of vision is irresponsible.

Id like to know what the Mother went and purchased that was so important ...... anyway

.... another example of wasted money/time (hers and taxpayers) as she was discharged absolutely and sounds like she is a nice person who was polite and co-operative ....

Charging people for this kind of stuff just encourages lying to Police - with hindsight knowing youd be charged she should of denied it -

An official caution should of been issued at station level and the Cops that spent the day filling out the paperwork , attending court , eating donuts etc should of been out on the street chasing after these Bikies who are having a war and posing a real threat to our community ....

Our priorities are becoming more and more screwed up ....

So maybe police just issuing a warning would have been the most reasonable option?

10 year old - fine.
5 year old no way!
3 year old??? Crazy.

Not sure about the punishment. Maybe edumacation would be more useful. Although if she was a ratbag that ain't gonna work.

Julia, where are your nesting instincts?!!

OK, thank you all for your comments. Clearly I'm not protective enough toward children but all the ten year olds I know are astonishingly responsible and would be quite OK to look after the younger siblings for ten minutes.

Happy to concede I was wrong in my reaction.
I'm just sick of the State interfering with the rights of responsible individuals to make their own decisions and probably I react unreasonably to a situation like this.

Nesting instincts? I confess they have not existed toward children for a long time.