Woman to face Court after leaving child in hot car
About 2.10pm on Thursday 30 November 2017, a 61-year-old female from Stirling parked her vehicle on Botany Street, Phillip.
The woman reportedly left her 15 month old granddaughter asleep inside the vehicle which was parked without any shade.
It is reported members of the public were concerned for the child’s safety and tried to break the driver’s side window for approximately ten minutes, before a man used a tyre iron to successfully break the window.
It is alleged the woman left her granddaughter in the hot vehicle for at least 20 minutes before she was removed by witnesses.
ACT Ambulance Service attended and assessed the child, who had no injuries.
The female was transported to Woden Police Station (where she was interviewed) then the ACT Watch House where she was charged with Neglect Child and Expose Child.
According to ‘Kidsafe’ “the temperature inside a parked car during the Australian summer can be 20 to 30 degrees hotter than the outside temperature and within five minutes, the temperature in the car can double”. Enquiries with the Bureau of Meteorology reveal it was about 28 degrees Celsius at the time of this incident.
Police are urging the man who broke the vehicle window, or anyone who has any information which could assist, to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website. Please quote reference 6204896. Information can be provided anonymously.
Media enquiries
Police Media — (02) 6264 9460, act-police-media@afp.gov.au