Eloise HorsfieldAN irresponsible expat has been charged with neglect after abandoning her three-year-old in a car for half an hour.
The 28-year-old German left her daughter alone in the car park of Malaga airport while she went to collect a relative from arrivals.
Her actions were reported by a man who parked next to the expat, while dropping off his girlfriend for a flight.
He noticed the toddler asleep in a chair with all the windows closed and waited for five minutes to see if anyone appeared before reporting it to a security guard.
Police quickly arrived at the scene and waited another few minutes until the mother returned to the car and was arrested for neglect.
The incident came just three days after a man was arrested in Malaga for leaving his four-year-old grandson alone in the house while he went to run an errand.
In what was very nearly fatal, the boy accidentally set fire to the house with a lighter and had to be rescued by a neighbour.
That’s a bit heavy *if* the car was parked in the shade, which I believe is the case in that particular car park at Malaga Airport. I have two young kids and, although half an hour is a bit too long, you might leave a sleeping child in a secure vehicle while running a brief errand. For example, it might not be practical to wake them up and carry them around if you’re quickly going into a shop or petrol station. It can be very tricky if they prove difficult to wake and – if, for example – you are on the road and need an urgent loo break.
its a tough one. As a dad i’ve often nipped into the shops because one or more of the little bleeders has ‘just’ fallen asleep. And you know what sort of day you’re in for if you dont think through the timing…
But. You’d crack the windows, park in the shade, never be more than five minutes (i’ve left queues to get back, and telling the shop keeper they are just too slow just spreads the joy).