Another Cincinnati child dies in hot car, left by mother....

[Miss Mary]

When are these tragedies going to stop?

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... /1055/NEWS

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.as ... a53bc99033

The newest case (11 month old baby left in college professor mother's van, for 8 hours yesterday) is almost identical to one that happened a year ago - Brenda Nesselroad-Slaby left her 2 year old in her SUV, while she went to work at her Middle School, as an Asst. Principal.

Our local news media outlets are going crazy with this new tragedy.

All I know is my heart is just heavy tonight.

[vbhoutex]

Don't even get me started on this topic!!! We had two in two days here in Houston last week!!! I shouldn't scream, but HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU FORGET ABOUT A CHILD YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ESPECIALLY IF IT IS YOUR OWN??? THROW THE BOOK AT THEM!!!!!

[RL3AO]

How these keep happening I don't know. I really don't.

[Category 5]

I'm not clear on the law on this, can punishment be enforced on the parents for this?

[vbhoutex]

I'm not clear on the law on this, can punishment be enforced on the parents for this?

Not in all states, but in Texas, yes they can and do enforce these laws. It's called child endangerment at the least.

[Category 5]

I'm not clear on the law on this, can punishment be enforced on the parents for this?

Not in all states, but in Texas, yes they can and do enforce these laws. It's called child endangerment at the least.

I'd not just enforce it in every state, I'd add manslaughter to it.

[gtalum]

While I don't understand how a parent can forget that their child is in the car, I also don't see the point in punishment above and beyond standard child neglect or child endangerment charges. Nothing you do to these parents is going to be as bad as what they do to themselves.

[vbhoutex]

I'm not clear on the law on this, can punishment be enforced on the parents for this?

Not in all states, but in Texas, yes they can and do enforce these laws. It's called child endangerment at the least.

I'd not just enforce it in every state, I'd add manslaughter to it.

Not all states have laws that deal with this type of tragedy/crime.

[sunny]

While I don't understand how a parent can forget that their child is in the car, I also don't see the point in punishment above and beyond standard child neglect or child endangerment charges. Nothing you do to these parents is going to be as bad as what they do to themselves.

This is true in MOST cases. However, when the child dies due to the neglect of a parent, that parent should be punished to the fullest extent of the law!

But I just don't understand how a parent can forget their child in a vehicle.

[gtalum]

This is true in MOST cases. However, when the child dies due to the neglect of a parent, that parent should be punished to the fullest extent of the law!

But I just don't understand how a parent can forget their child in a vehicle.

I agree, they need to be punished under the child neglect laws. I just don't see any benefit to punishment beyond that. It's not like people will start saying "Oh, I'd better be more careful not to lock my kid in the hot car accidentally and allow him/her to die or I might have to do some hard time".

I do agree that I don't understand how someone can forget their kid like that. Personally I check the car every single time I get out just to make sure I haven't done it, though.

[sunny]

So in your opinion the loss of a child's life is worth no more than prosecuting it as neglect? Sorry, don't agree with you.

[gtalum]

So in your opinion the loss of a child's life is worth no more than prosecuting it as neglect?

Not exactly. For one thing, we simply don't prosecute accidental deaths as manslaughter or murder. Further, absolutely nothing is accomplished by throwing these people in prison. Remember, prison isn't about retribution. It's about protecting society from dangerous criminals.

[sunny]

So in your opinion the loss of a child's life is worth no more than prosecuting it as neglect?

Not exactly. For one thing, we simply don't prosecute accidental deaths as manslaughter or murder. Further, absolutely nothing is accomplished by throwing these people in prison. Remember, prison isn't about retribution. It's about protecting society from dangerous criminals.

But I don't view these deaths as 'accidental'. They are neglegent so therefore, at a minimum, neglegent homicide' would be appropriate.

[gtalum]

Please tell me, what benefit do we receive as a society by putting these people in prison? There has to be a benefit, otherwise it's not worth spending the money to keep them locked up. It's not likely to make parents be more careful, because losing a child is already far worse than anything the state can do to them. Personally, I'd rather save my tax dollars for keeping dangerous criminals off the streets.

[gtalum]

Please don't take my posts the wrong way. These stories always nearly bring me to tears, because I can't stop myself from imagining my own child in the same predicament. The parents make me angry for their neglectfulness. I just don't see any benefit in locking them up. Prison isn't about exacting retribution. It's impossible to make up for the value of a child's life.

[sunny]

Please tell me, what benefit do we receive as a society by putting these people in prison? There has to be a benefit, otherwise it's not worth spending the money to keep them locked up. It's not likely to make parents be more careful, because losing a child is already far worse than anything the state can do to them. Personally, I'd rather save my tax dollars for keeping dangerous criminals off the streets.

The benefit? It's negligent homicide, plain and simple. Just as someone kills another while driving drunk, they charge these people with wreckless homicide. The actions result in anothers death. The laws are there to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I just can't imagine how someone can 'forget' their child is in the car. How can they not see them when they are getting out of the vehicle?

Now my turn. Please tell me why someone who leaves their child in a smothering car to die a slow, horrible death, should not be punished to the fullest extent of the law?

[sunny]

Please don't take my posts the wrong way. These stories always nearly bring me to tears, because I can't stop myself from imagining my own child in the same predicament. The parents make me angry for their neglectfulness. I just don't see any benefit in locking them up. Prison isn't about exacting retribution. It's impossible to make up for the value of a child's life.

I'm not taking your posts the wrong way, I prefer to look at it as you providing different insight into these situations. I just can't understand how someone can do this, that's all. I mean when I am in the car with the little ones in my family, you can clearely see them in their little seats when you get out! So I just do not understand how these parents can 'forget'. I just don't.

[gtalum]

The benefit? It's negligent homicide, plain and simple. Just as someone kills another while driving drunk, they charge these people with wreckless homicide. The actions result in anothers death.

Drunk driving resulting in death is charged as homicide because the perpetrator has purposefully engaged in a known dangerous activity, ie drunk driving. If somebody causes an accident, that results in someone's death, though, and they're completely sober, they generally are not charged with negligent homicide because accidents happen. Forgetting a child in a car seat (which like you I juts don't see how they can forget that their kid is there) does not involve the purposeful participation in a dangerous activity.

The laws are there to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Who is protected by throwing a forgetful parent in prison? The threat of prison simply won't change this behavior.

Now my turn. Please tell me why someone who leaves their child in a smothering car to die a slow, horrible death, should not be punished to the fullest extent of the law?

They should. The extent of the law in this case is child neglect or child endangerment.

[sunny]

Drunk driving resulting in death is charged as homicide because the perpetrator has purposefully engaged in a known dangerous activity, ie drunk driving.

That was a bad analogy (I think I've been tracking Fay too long.....).

If somebody causes an accident, that results in someone's death, though, and they're completely sober, they generally are not charged with negligent homicide because accidents happen

That is not completely true. If a driver falls asleep at the wheel, gets into an accident and someone is killed, they can be (and some have been) charged with neglegent homicide. It was their actions that resulted in the death of another and even though they didn't mean to (and I am sure in circumstances such as this they feel just as horrible), they are still responsible. Just like these parents.

You and I can keep going around about this but it's obvious that we will both stand by our opinions. It's sad no doubt, and I am sure the parents (again, at least most), torture themselves over it. It doesn't change the fact that their negligence ends a life that hasn't even begun. And it is negligent homicide. That is what they should be charged with.

Another thing I don't understand, you didn't really hear about this type of thing happening up to a few years ago. Now it seems to be all to common. What gives?

[dizzyfish]

O.K. here I go. Please don't hammer me too hard. I very rarely respond to these types of topics because they upset me so. Same with animal abuse topics.

Just a couple of thoughts.

If the parent is thrown in jail - what happens to the other children? God forbid it is a one parent family which is unfortunately all too common these days.

As for how often you hear of it now - well, the media is all into everyones business anymore and you hear of lots of things that you didn't use to in the past. The other thing that crossed my mind is this - we know how society goes at such a rapid pace now. Everyone trying to do 3 or 4 things at once. Maybe that is the case in some of these instances. Believe me I am NOT making excuses for this - there simply is no excuse for forgetting your child in a car - or forgetting your child at all for that matter.

I do know this. My sister has three children 11, 4 and 2. If that happened to one of my nieces or my nephew I don't think I could ever forgive her - in fact I don't I could keep myself from knocking the snot out of her.

Just the ramblings of an old lady. And yes, it pisses me off beyond belief!

My thoughts and prayers go out to all families that are unfortunate enough to have to deal with this trajedy. I cannot even imagine what these families go through.