Leaving a child unsupervised in public is among the main issues that face a significant public response whenever a parent is tempted to leave their kid in the car and run some errands, for example. In the most recent case of such occurrence in Alberta, a father left his 7-year-old boy in his car while he entered a casino venue nearby.
The temperature in Calgary at the time reached -24 C, but soon after finding out, the casino staff called the police that charged the father. Whenever a parent leaves their kid unattended in a parked vehicle peopleās first thought is that the car itself could become a hot death trap for the child left without access to fresh air even if it is just for a quick errand run by the parent. In the most recent case that took place in front of a casino venue in Calgary, however, the temperature outside was far below the freezing point.
Son Waited for Two Hours in Parked Car
The father who left his kid in the car unsupervised decided to spend some time at Pure Casino on Sunday evening where he was later found by police officers. In the late afternoon the man whose name has not been announced publicly parked his vehicle in front of the casino venue and entered with the intention to gamble.
For about two hours, he enjoyed the wide range of entertainment offerings available on site while his son was waiting for him in the car parked outside. It was confirmed that at the time the vehicle was parked and unheated, leaving the kid to the cold weather slowly cooling the car to a potentially dangerous degree.
Once two hours passed, the abandoned kid decided to make his way into the casino venue and look for his father inside. Unfortunately, he could not locate him there, as by that time the man had left the building. Seeing a minor make their way in the venue, the casino staff was quick to talk to the boy and learn that it was looking for his father.
Employees took the kid to the casino venue office where they offered warm mittens. They ensured that the kid was safe and warm, while continuously calling the father who had left the casino venue. In the meantime, they also called the police that arrived in time to anticipate the fatherās return.
Father Was Charged One Count of Abandoning Child
He came back searching for his kid when police officers arrested him and charged him with one count of abandoning a child. His son was taken by child-protective services shortly after that, as Alberta Childrenās Services wants to ensure that the kid is taken care of. Across the US leaving a child in a car for even the shortest amount of time is frowned upon and regulations strictly prohibit it, especially in the situations where the car is off.
In Canada, this is not the case and instead, police officers look into every single case and issue charges accordingly. The Province of Quebec even goes as far as specifying a minimum age for leaving kids unattended in cars ā seven years old. The vehicle must be provided with the appropriate ventilation that would prevent it from becoming a greenhouse on wheels, or proper heating in situations like the one in Calgary.
According to Canadaās Criminal Code, Section 218, an individual who āunlawfully abandons or exposes a childā faces five years of jail time. Gambling habits are also a factor that should be taken into consideration, as they should not interfere with daily activities and responsible parenting. The father left his son outside unsupervised while he gambled at the casino venue, a situation further complicated by the weather conditions around this time of the year.
