The ‘Forgotten baby syndrome’ is becoming a serious worry as mothers are busy juggling family, home and work! ?
It seems unthinkable – accidentally leaving your baby for hours, but lots of busy parents do it with devastating consequences
Karen, a professional devoted mum goes on trial today for the murder of her baby son who she left alone in a hot car for over 7 hours! He died of heatstroke.
‘Karen drove a short distance to work, planning to drop her son off at nursery on the way. At around 4pm, she returned home. There, she received a panicked phone call from her husband. He was at the nursery to pick Ryan up. But Ryan wasn’t there.
In that split second, Karen’s world imploded. She realised she’d done something unimaginably awful. She sprinted to her car in the driveway and found her beloved baby, still strapped into his seat in the back. Karen, described by all who know her as a wonderful and caring mother, had forgotten to drop her son off at nursery. He’d been left in a searingly hot car for more than seven hours.
Despite frantic attempts to resuscitate him, Ryan died from heatstroke’.
Today, Karen goes on trial in America accused of murder and child neglect. If convicted, she could face a maximum prison sentence of 40 years.
Her husband, who is standing by her — as are their friends and extended family — says the murder charge is outrageous. He says it was a tragic accident, an inexplicable, inexcusable mistake — but not a crime. Furthermore, Karen is in a living hell. Accidentally killing your own baby is a lifelong sentence far greater than any a court could ever deliver.
What do you think ? Do you have any sympathy?
Have you ever forgotton your baby somewhere because you have just had too many things on your mind?
