8 years ago
3
Fatal Distraction: Forgetting a child in the backseat is a horrifying mistake. Is it a crime?
"What kind of person forgets a baby? The wealthy do, it turns out. And the poor, and the middle class. Parents of all ages and ethnicities do it. Mothers are just as likely to do it as fathers. It happens to the chronically absent-minded and to the fanatically organized, to the college-educated and to the marginally literate." Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com
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Yes, causing harm to another through negligence is a crime.
That was my gut instinct as well prior to reading the article, but with many of the cases discussed I can see why there isn't criminal negligence involved. For some, there was no indifference for human life or safety - it was freak occurrence, and juries have acted correspondingly. When there have been histories or patterns that show neglect or indifference, that's a different thing but that's not what this article is focused on. And when the article discusses how memory and routine work, well - I can't say I've never forgotten something because it was just a little deviation in my routine.
It was horrifying to read. How terrible. I'd never wish such pain on another human being.
Regardless of how terrible it is, yes, it's still a crime. And a fitting punishment should be sought for the perpetrators. That being said, I wouldn't want to be a poor slob on the jury trying to figure out what would be best action to take.