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2014/13: Should harsher penalties have been introduced for Victorian parents who leave their children unattended?
Introduction to the media issue
Video clip at right:An American news report from July 2014, dealing with the arrest of a Florida woman for letting her seven-year-old son walk to a local park alone. If you cannot see this clip, it will be because video is blocked by your network. To view the clip, access from home or from a public library, or from another network which allows viewing of video clips.
What they said...
'Whatever the reasons - there's simply no excuses for leaving a child unattended'
Wendy Lovell, Victorian Minister for Children and Early Childhood
'We live in a society that insists on infantilizing our children, treating them as helpless babies who can't do a thing safely or successfully without an adult hovering nearby'
Lenore Skenazy, American columnist and author
The issue at a glance
On August 6, 2014, the Victorian government announced that it plans to double the previous penalties that can be imposed on parents for leaving their children unattended. Under the new arrangements parents will face a fine of $3690 or six months jail.
The proposal has met with qualified support from Kidsafe Victoria which advocates that under no circumstances should children be left unattended in cars. However, the child safety group has reservations about the potential application of the new penalties against parents who leave children as old as 16 at home unsupervised or allow them to go out or use public transport unchaperoned.
The proposal has received a mixed response from child advocates, with some praising its possible effects in certain areas, while others have stressed its potential excessiveness.