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NFT: Forgetting a Child in the Backseat of a Car - Crime?

Les in TO : 6/23/2016 1:02 pm
Before you say "yes" (which I do, on condition that for fact patterns like those described ion the article the punishment is plea bargained down to community service), read this article. warning - it is a very tough one to stomach and double the toughness if you are a working parent to young kids
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I'm always amazed  
JesseS : 6/23/2016 3:25 pm : link
at how people point fingers at people for things that could happen to anyone. Premeditated murder is one thing, but these things happen.

NO ONE THINKS IT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM UNTIL IT DOES.

As I've mentioned on here, I'm a psychotherapist. Very rarely does someone come in and say, whelp, I knew that was going to happen to me! Life is full of things like these. Usually, things work out. Usually something clicks and we're pulled back in.

I can think of a time my wife brought my son to work with her accidentally, forgetting he was in the car (and obviously realizing it when she got to work). I can't imagine what people would say about my robo-wife, who works 75 hours a week and still is an amazing mom that takes zero short cuts, has unlimited patience and is my role model.

I can think of myself crossing 3 lanes of traffic and almost killing myself and my 6 month old because he was up every 45 minutes for 2 months straight and I was severely sleep deprived. I can't imagine what people would have said about how bad of a parent I was and how I was careless or heartless are an idiot, when I was exhausted at home and spending my day working with kids in crisis on suicide watch.

I think of the time my wife 2 weeks ago, when I was showing my coworkers my house (had a retreat at my house) and my wife, who I've never seen do this, had left her hair straightener on. I imagine my infant daughter probably threw up or my 3 year old was running around like a maniac when we were trying to get out the door. What would people say? Careless? Vain? Cares more about her appearance than her family?

I can think of a time when my daughter was 3 months old and first going to day care (my wife was done with maternity leave). I took my kids to daycare. My son was having a toddler meltdown and everyone was late because of it. Daycare needed more wipes and diapers and I had to get their sheets for their cribs out of the drier. My daughter was in her infant seat and I picked it up and put it on the table, so I could strap her in. Just then, my son fell and bumped his head and was hysterical, so I dropped everything and ran to the room he was in. I soothed him and sang to him and somehow carried everything, including my son, with infant carrier in my other hand. I didn't realize until I got to daycare, that I had never returned to the infant seat to strap her in, so while she was in her seat, she wasn't actually buckled in. What would people say if I got in an accident? Bad, bad father? I'm not doting [/] enough?

I think that article said something that hit the nail on the head. It had a quote fro a psychologist.

[i]Humans, Hickling said, have a fundamental need to create and maintain a narrative for their lives in which the universe is not implacable and heartless, that terrible things do not happen at random, and that catastrophe can be avoided if you are vigilant and responsible.


Whoever said he or she is a doting parent, and that's what separates him or her, is either really, really righteous, or wants to believe it couldn't happen to him or her(I'm assuming the latter).

It's a horrific thing, but shit like this happens, despite best attempts to prevent it.

I don't know squat about this case and I'm not terribly interested in reading the details, since I hear enough sad stuff during my job, but the people in that article just made me sad for them. All I could think of was how fortunate I am and how horrible I felt for them, because I fuck up sometimes too.
This thread is a great reminder of why so many people  
BrettNYG10 : 6/23/2016 3:25 pm : link
Shouldn't be having kids.
the article makes a good point  
Vanzetti : 6/23/2016 3:26 pm : link
moving car seats to the back is responsible for a lot of this. People would be a lot less apt to forget a kid in the front seat.

Maybe car seats should have a cage made to withstand the impact of emergency air balloons.

But to answer the question: I think it is a crime but the punishment should be community service where you go around to schools and warn parents about child safety. That would benefit society and probably make the person feel a bit that their child had not died in vain. Jail time makes no sense
==========  
GiantFilthy : 6/23/2016 3:27 pm : link
Quote:
JesseS : 3:25 pm : link : reply
It's a horrific thing, but shit like this happens, despite best attempts to prevent it.

I mean, what attempts can these parents make to prevent forgetting they have their own damn kid in the back seat?
I should add  
JesseS : 6/23/2016 3:29 pm : link
that there are cases where this sort of thing IS criminal. Purposely leaving your kid in a car because you want to hang with your friends and then forgetting to go back out to your car for 3 hours etc. Only illustrating that there are times where I don't think it should be.
RE: This thread is a great reminder of why so many people  
robbieballs2003 : 6/23/2016 3:29 pm : link
In comment 13006455 BrettNYG10 said:
Quote:
Shouldn't be having kids.


Haha
Some people argue  
pjcas18 : 6/23/2016 3:31 pm : link
driving sleep deprived is just as dangerous and irresponsible as driving drunk.

There was even a mythbusters that confirmed the dangerous part of it.

Filthy  
JesseS : 6/23/2016 3:31 pm : link
I meant in general. Bad stuff happens even if we make good choices.

I think I mentioned how people can accidentally forget things, even something monumentally important. 99.9% of the time, it's for a split second (don't quote me on that lol).
I cannot fathom leaving my kid in the car.  
robbieballs2003 : 6/23/2016 3:34 pm : link
I am always worried when I don't here him like maybe the belt was too tight and maybe it is cutting off his breathing. My mind is always on him.

I also do not understand the argument that this could happen to anyone. No offense but this isn't about YOU. Who cares about what YOU feel? This isn't about YOU. This is about a child who isn't able to take care him/herself and the responsibility falls on the one who made the decision to have the child.
==========  
GiantFilthy : 6/23/2016 3:35 pm : link
Quote:
Filthy
JesseS : 3:31 pm : link : reply
I meant in general.

Gotcha!
Then you're a better man than I  
JesseS : 6/23/2016 3:36 pm : link
When I don't hear my kid, I assume he fell asleep in his carseat.
RE: Some people argue  
robbieballs2003 : 6/23/2016 3:38 pm : link
In comment 13006470 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
driving sleep deprived is just as dangerous and irresponsible as driving drunk.

There was even a mythbusters that confirmed the dangerous part of it.


Mythbusters is awful but I get your point and it is very dangerous. My point was that driving while tired happens but falling asleep just pops up on you. That has happened to me a few times and I have pulled over. One time I was 10 minutes from home and I pulled over in a parking lot and took a nap before getting home. There are statistics that show how dangerous it is. When you choose to operate a vehicle you are subject to criminal charges. They are just harder to prove. Forgetting a child for X hours doesn't happen instantly. They are really not comparable.
RE: RE: If it's not intentional  
chuckydee9 : 6/23/2016 3:39 pm : link
In comment 13006446 robbieballs2003 said:
Quote:
In comment 13006430 chuckydee9 said:


Quote:


Then there is no way it should be a crime.. the person has already suffered enough.. as a parent you all know that accidentally killing your child will hurt much worse than going to jail.. also why force the sibling to suffer living in foster home or other though situation when the parent themselves were negligence and will definitely have learned their lessons from this...
All this is based on the fact that the parent forgot and did not do this intentionally.



The issue shouldn't be the punishment or sentencing. However, this should be considered a crime. Arguing over what punishment fits the crime is different but this is a crime.


Thats what I am getting to.. you can call it crime but then don't put the parent in jail for life for something like this.. if truly an accident then small punishment/community service should suffice..

Robbie  
JesseS : 6/23/2016 3:39 pm : link
I just reread what you wrote earlier. When I say times when it isn't criminal, I misspoke. I mean I don't think someone should be going to jail for 20 years for murder. Is it technically still criminal? Of course.
as others  
Les in TO : 6/23/2016 3:39 pm : link
have noted and as mentioned in the article, it is usually a perfect storm of circumstances that have led to these tragic cases - a change of routine, an unexpected emergency, sleep deprivation of the parent, other stresses etc.

I think you need to ensure these cases still lead to criminal charges to ensure general deterrence. It is unacceptable that babies die in such a horrific manner (the one referred to in the article as the "worst case" of infant hypothermia" may have been the saddest thing I'ver ever read, and I've heard some really brutal ones from the holocaust, 9/11 and other atrocities. Rather than punishment assuming the facts are that the parent was a great loving parent who for a variety of reasons "forgot" and they are truly broken and filled with grief, putting them in jail is not going to accomplish any rehabilitation. obviously, if they were drunk, on drugs, consistently neglectful, or otherwise culpable then lock them up and throw away the key.
RE: RE: For those who say yes, crime...  
mrvax : 6/23/2016 3:50 pm : link
In comment 13006436 robbieballs2003 said:
Quote:

Are you comparing falling asleep at the wheel to leaving a child in a car for 9 hours?


No. I don't want to weigh in on this specific case. I just want folks to be aware that our pre-conceived notions are sometimes flawed or missing information. JesseS' 3:25 post says it better. BTW: hope you are doing well.

Gotcha  
robbieballs2003 : 6/23/2016 4:01 pm : link
I agree things happen when you don't expect them and that is why they call them accidents. I just find it odd that a parent could forget their kid for that amount of time and call it an accident.
Robbie  
JesseS : 6/23/2016 4:04 pm : link
I hear what you're saying. I think we're basically arguing semantics but are coming from similar places.
Holy shit this thread had a lot of scary stuff  
Tuckrule : 6/23/2016 4:06 pm : link
I for one take extreme measures with my child. I make sure the house is secure as far as anything dangerous she could touch. I never leave her in her chair on a table or walk away for a minute.

I don't fault people for being absentminded or not as careful as me because I am a type A personality. I do not forget, leave thing behind or make careless decisions like crossing 3 lanes with my child in the car because I'm tired. If your tired take a taxi. When I buckle my child into her car seat. I yank on that thing 5 times before I get into the driver seat. Some of these things are easily avoidable by taking proper measures. I'm just shaking my head and cringing at all the things I've read on here
RE: For those who say yes, crime...  
Randy in CT : 6/23/2016 4:06 pm : link
In comment 13006403 mrvax said:
Quote:
Please hear me out. I like to learn from mistakes of others in hope of not repeating them. Let me tell you a little story:

Years ago when I was about 18, my cousin fell asleep after an 80 hour work week while driving home at 3:00am from work. He hit a pole and got most of his teeth knocked out. I thought to myself, "How the hell could a person fall asleep at the wheel? What a dumbass! He cudda, shudda, etc."

Fast forward 20 years. I was driving 50 miles home after a long shift at 1:00 am on the LIE. I was tired but nothing unusual. Somehow a bolt of adrenaline shot through me. I realized that while driving carefully with my eyes wide open that I had entered dreamland. Maybe divine providence saved me (and possibly others) from a horrific accident.

Moral: Things do not always happen as we think of them! It takes several events all lined up the wrong way to fall asleep at the wheel or leave a child unattended in a car. Since it's never happened to you, you may think that the parent is a neglectful prick and needs to be hung.

Just try to believe that if everything lines up wrong, it can and will happen to you and I pray it doesn't.

IMO, each case like this must be carefully looked at to determine if a crime was committed. Sure, if a parent lazily leaves a kid in the car in hot weather and the child dies, it's a crime. Those are rare cases thankfully.
Really bad example.
Gorillas,  
Randy in CT : 6/23/2016 4:07 pm : link
alligators, hot cars.

Yes, you are responsible for your kids' safety. If you don't think you can handle it or it is too much of a burden, consider not having kids?
How about this case?  
Vanzetti : 6/23/2016 4:21 pm : link
When I was going to college, there was a case of a man who went camping with his son. Wanted to show him the outdoors. Unfortunately, he knew nothing about the outdoors and did not realize how cold it could get in a tent at night. He had no blankets. So to keep him and his son warm, he brought the hibachi into the tent. It was nice and warm and they fell fast asleep . . . . . never to wake up again.

How about it?  
AP in Halfmoon : 6/23/2016 4:22 pm : link
he's dead
There ought to be a feature in the carseat  
spike : 6/23/2016 4:31 pm : link
that beeps while the car is turned off but the belt buckle is still on
RE: Gorillas,  
chuckydee9 : 6/23/2016 4:36 pm : link
In comment 13006552 Randy in CT said:
Quote:
alligators, hot cars.

Yes, you are responsible for your kids' safety. If you don't think you can handle it or it is too much of a burden, consider not having kids?


Obviously you don't realize that till you've had the kid.. and unfortunately there is no redo button to fix that..

On a serious note... there is a serious problem with a lot of people wanting punishment.. we already are the most punishing country in the developed world.. excessively Punishing a parent who accidentally killed their child and is already suffering isn't going to make our society any better or stop the next accident from happening..
isn't it a clearcut case of  
Alan in Toledo : 6/23/2016 4:41 pm : link
criminal negligence?
RE: RE: Gorillas,  
Randy in CT : 6/23/2016 4:46 pm : link
In comment 13006622 chuckydee9 said:
Quote:
In comment 13006552 Randy in CT said:


Quote:


alligators, hot cars.

Yes, you are responsible for your kids' safety. If you don't think you can handle it or it is too much of a burden, consider not having kids?



Obviously you don't realize that till you've had the kid.. and unfortunately there is no redo button to fix that..

On a serious note... there is a serious problem with a lot of people wanting punishment.. we already are the most punishing country in the developed world.. excessively Punishing a parent who accidentally killed their child and is already suffering isn't going to make our society any better or stop the next accident from happening..
Not punishing people who are criminally negligent certainly isn't the answer.
Over-punishing drug addicts or pot smokers/sellers is a good area to start though.
I've got 4 little kids....  
Tesla : 6/23/2016 4:48 pm : link
Our family was out somewhere for the day around a year ago and got back late at night with most of the kids asleep in their car seats. After taking them in and putting them to bed I went back out to the car to bring some our stuff in the house and lo and behold I find our 6 month old asleep in his car seat. He'd only been there about 5 minutes but I could easily see how it could have been a lot longer. I thought my wife had brought him and and she thought I had brought him in. It happens.

Bill Simmons wrote a truly great article once about his dog that had just died, and he told as story of how his toddler ran out the front door once and into the street and his dogs literally saved the kids life by standing in front of him so that a driver saw the dog and stopped instead of hitting the kid. He had a great line there that I always remembered: "Everyone with kids knows that you have to catch a few dumb breaks along the way."
RE: RE: RE: Gorillas,  
chuckydee9 : 6/23/2016 5:08 pm : link
In comment 13006641 Randy in CT said:
Quote:
In comment 13006622 chuckydee9 said:


Quote:


In comment 13006552 Randy in CT said:


Quote:


alligators, hot cars.

Yes, you are responsible for your kids' safety. If you don't think you can handle it or it is too much of a burden, consider not having kids?



Obviously you don't realize that till you've had the kid.. and unfortunately there is no redo button to fix that..

On a serious note... there is a serious problem with a lot of people wanting punishment.. we already are the most punishing country in the developed world.. excessively Punishing a parent who accidentally killed their child and is already suffering isn't going to make our society any better or stop the next accident from happening..

Not punishing people who are criminally negligent certainly isn't the answer.
Over-punishing drug addicts or pot smokers/sellers is a good area to start though.


I don't know what you mean by criminally negligent.. but read the story right below your post, should he be punished? or does it only matter if that hurt someone..
Na..  
Modus Operandi : 6/23/2016 8:00 pm : link
Apparantly, I've underestimated the extent to which some people will rationalize bad parenting.
RE: RE: RE: RE: Gorillas,  
leatherneck570 : 6/23/2016 8:15 pm : link
In comment 13006672 chuckydee9 said:
Quote:
In comment 13006641 Randy in CT said:


Quote:


In comment 13006622 chuckydee9 said:


Quote:


In comment 13006552 Randy in CT said:


Quote:


alligators, hot cars.

Yes, you are responsible for your kids' safety. If you don't think you can handle it or it is too much of a burden, consider not having kids?



Obviously you don't realize that till you've had the kid.. and unfortunately there is no redo button to fix that..

On a serious note... there is a serious problem with a lot of people wanting punishment.. we already are the most punishing country in the developed world.. excessively Punishing a parent who accidentally killed their child and is already suffering isn't going to make our society any better or stop the next accident from happening..

Not punishing people who are criminally negligent certainly isn't the answer.
Over-punishing drug addicts or pot smokers/sellers is a good area to start though.



I don't know what you mean by criminally negligent.. but read the story right below your post, should he be punished? or does it only matter if that hurt someone..


No, that's not considered criminal negligence.
Did you run into the convenience store to grab a gallon of milk?...  
Torrag : 6/23/2016 8:53 pm : link
...or leave an infant in the car seat for two hours while you were at Happy Hour?

Context matters.
RE: Na..  
Tuckrule : 6/23/2016 11:57 pm : link
In comment 13006831 Modus Operandi said:
Quote:
Apparantly, I've underestimated the extent to which some people will rationalize bad parenting.


So well put and evident by this thread
Apparently...  
manh george : 6/24/2016 12:42 am : link
I have underestimated the extent to which people think the criminal justice system is about vengeance.

I thinks it's a crime, but not necessarily one that requires jail time. It depends greatly on circumstances.

People's brains play tricks. If one can completely screw up an eyewitness identification while being 100% sure of it, one can also believe that the baby was taken elsewhere, while leaving it it the car.

Probably most deserve some jail time, but not all. And the emotional torture most of such people suffer is massively high.
I can agree with that MG  
leatherneck570 : 6/24/2016 7:25 am : link
But those excusing the behavior because of exhaustion are being obtuse. Being tired is a shitty reason for missing a deadline at work. It's an absolutely deplorable one for allowing your child to die while under your care due to negligence.
RE: RE: Na..  
chuckydee9 : 6/24/2016 7:48 am : link
In comment 13007101 Tuckrule said:
Quote:
In comment 13006831 Modus Operandi said:


Quote:


Apparantly, I've underestimated the extent to which some people will rationalize bad parenting.



So well put and evident by this thread


I am not rationalizing bad parenting.. but many here simply want vengeance for a child that is not there or even alive and have no problem punishing siblings of the child or the other parent... also punishing someone that did this accidentally won't stop the next loving parent from making accident..

For those that want to punish a parent for accidentally killing a child.. do you ever speed or go above speed limit?
RE: the article makes a good point  
Ira : 6/24/2016 8:12 am : link
In comment 13006460 Vanzetti said:
Quote:
moving car seats to the back is responsible for a lot of this. People would be a lot less apt to forget a kid in the front seat.

Maybe car seats should have a cage made to withstand the impact of emergency air balloons.

But to answer the question: I think it is a crime but the punishment should be community service where you go around to schools and warn parents about child safety. That would benefit society and probably make the person feel a bit that their child had not died in vain. Jail time makes no sense


This sounds like a reasonable solution.
RE: Some people argue  
NoPeanutz : 6/24/2016 10:46 am : link
In comment 13006470 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
driving sleep deprived is just as dangerous and irresponsible as driving drunk.

There was even a mythbusters that confirmed the dangerous part of it.

Sounds about right. We just had a new baby, and haven't been sleeping, and was afraid by the end of a long drive (in the middle of the day!) that I'd doze off behind the wheel yesterday... I'll be cutting back on that kind of thing for a few weeks.
==========  
GiantFilthy : 6/24/2016 10:56 am : link
Quote:
chuckydee9 : 7:48 am : link : reply
For those that want to punish a parent for accidentally killing a child.. do you ever speed or go above speed limit?

I do, yeah. Then I get punished for it.
RE: ==========  
chuckydee9 : 6/24/2016 11:09 am : link
In comment 13007579 GiantFilthy said:
Quote:


Quote:


chuckydee9 : 7:48 am : link : reply
For those that want to punish a parent for accidentally killing a child.. do you ever speed or go above speed limit?


I do, yeah. Then I get punished for it.


Now you get in an accident going at 75 on Turnpike.. Should you be criminally negligant and face jail time incase someone dies or is hurt badly... You aren't drunk.. its just an accident..
...  
BrettNYG10 : 6/24/2016 11:19 am : link
Why are we comparing things with punishments to make an argument that we shouldn't punish something else?
RE: RE: ==========  
leatherneck570 : 6/24/2016 11:22 am : link
In comment 13007604 chuckydee9 said:
Quote:
In comment 13007579 GiantFilthy said:


Quote:




Quote:


chuckydee9 : 7:48 am : link : reply
For those that want to punish a parent for accidentally killing a child.. do you ever speed or go above speed limit?


I do, yeah. Then I get punished for it.



Now you get in an accident going at 75 on Turnpike.. Should you be criminally negligant and face jail time incase someone dies or is hurt badly... You aren't drunk.. its just an accident..


that depends. Were you texting, weaving in and out of traffic, cutting off traffic etc...? Going a few miles over the speed limit doesn't usually make one criminally negligent in itself as driving in that manner alone doesn't usually cause the accident (assuming you're going with the flow of traffic).
RE: RE: ==========  
BrettNYG10 : 6/24/2016 11:23 am : link
In comment 13007604 chuckydee9 said:
Quote:
In comment 13007579 GiantFilthy said:


Quote:




Quote:


chuckydee9 : 7:48 am : link : reply
For those that want to punish a parent for accidentally killing a child.. do you ever speed or go above speed limit?


I do, yeah. Then I get punished for it.



Now you get in an accident going at 75 on Turnpike.. Should you be criminally negligant and face jail time incase someone dies or is hurt badly... You aren't drunk.. its just an accident..


I'm pretty sure you could be charged with vehicular manslaughter. Judgement would be required to decide whether you should be punished depending on the egregiousness of your actions.
There's been a tone around here lately  
Randy in CT : 6/24/2016 11:30 am : link
that parents are only SO responsible for their little children. "Hey, they're tricky little fuckers so sometimes they crawl in the gorilla cage when I'm not looking!"

"Sure, I locked my car in the kid all day and he croaked but look how bad I feel!!!! Why should I be punished further??"

Nut up and be responsible you fucking fucks.
RE: There's been a tone around here lately  
chuckydee9 : 6/24/2016 2:22 pm : link
In comment 13007626 Randy in CT said:
Quote:
that parents are only SO responsible for their little children. "Hey, they're tricky little fuckers so sometimes they crawl in the gorilla cage when I'm not looking!"

"Sure, I locked my car in the kid all day and he croaked but look how bad I feel!!!! Why should I be punished further??"

Nut up and be responsible you fucking fucks.


Gorilla thing is different because that hurt a third party.. She should have to pay for damages for that but to put her in jail for losing her child does no good... Also I am not saying leave your kid out there on purpose or be negligent.. but accidents do happen..
I don't really care  
Rick5 : 6/24/2016 3:46 pm : link
if it is considered a crime or not. I am more interested in thinking about how a person goes about living his or her life after something like that happens. It has to be hell on earth regardless of any time behind bars.
Correct, Rick5.  
manh george : 6/24/2016 3:55 pm : link
Consider the hell most parents go through when they lose a child to illness or accident. Now consider the hell if one of the parents is directly responsible for a child's death, through negligence.

Most marriages wouldn't survive, and the guilt and depression would be nearly infinite. Plus there are very often other children to consider.

In a case of pure negligence and/or a brain-freeze, who does a jail sentence make feel better? Posters on a message board?
RE: There's been a tone around here lately  
Tesla : 6/24/2016 3:59 pm : link
In comment 13007626 Randy in CT said:
Quote:
that parents are only SO responsible for their little children. "Hey, they're tricky little fuckers so sometimes they crawl in the gorilla cage when I'm not looking!"

"Sure, I locked my car in the kid all day and he croaked but look how bad I feel!!!! Why should I be punished further??"

Nut up and be responsible you fucking fucks.


Actually I think it's closer to the truth to say that as a society (and likely here on BBI as well) that we've become a bunch of sanctimonious assholes.

I think it's very fair to say that kids are FAR safer now than they were even a generation ago, and this generation of parents puts way more effort into raising kids than our parents did. You don't think kids were getting locked in cars in the 70's? It sure as hell happened but we didn't have the internet back then to prove how superior we all are to those shitty parents.
I agree with many on this thread.  
Randy in CT : 6/24/2016 4:06 pm : link
Oops, I accidentally killed my kid! Sorry! Won't happen again!

Some keep looking at the parent as the victim here, for their loss--There was a victim--a kid who was looking to their parent to take care of them and they failed as miserably as possible.

BTW, that kind of "accident" doesn't happen. What's going on with the individual, mentally, that tucked away somewhere in their brain, that they "forget" to get their kid out of the "oven" (car).
RE: I agree with many on this thread.  
Les in TO : 6/24/2016 4:30 pm : link
In comment 13008102 Randy in CT said:
Quote:
Oops, I accidentally killed my kid! Sorry! Won't happen again!

Some keep looking at the parent as the victim here, for their loss--There was a victim--a kid who was looking to their parent to take care of them and they failed as miserably as possible.

BTW, that kind of "accident" doesn't happen. What's going on with the individual, mentally, that tucked away somewhere in their brain, that they "forget" to get their kid out of the "oven" (car).
I think we all agree that the ultimate victims are the poor kids who are literally fried to death. reading about the kid who they found who had pulled all of their hair out in agony was one of the saddest things I've ever read, I am tearing up typing that.

that being said, I do belive that in the Harrison case and the balfour case, they were legitimate accidents. they were distracted, sleep deprived, stressed and were taken out of their comfort zone to the point where they simply assumed that they had taken the step they always do of dropping their kids off at daycare. there is an excellent interview with a neurologist in the article I linked that explains the "perfect storm" of factors that can impact and overwhlem the brains of these parents. there were no drugs, no alcohol and no proof of malice or psychosis involved.
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