Would you get into trouble for this?

you're supposed to remember you have children without an electronic device needing to tell you

I passed a breakdown on an A road last night on a dual carriageway. Three police cars in attendance and the road blocked off for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
No wonder there's no police around when they're occupied with the mundane. There should be a lower police type of group that deals with this type of situation. Like an environment police force that deals with small localised kinds of issues. Therefore releasing the real police to deal with crime.

Where I live (hot country) people smash car windows open if they spot a dog in the car, never mind a couple of kids. It’s very easy to overheat, and I wouldn’t let kids sit in a Uk winter for four hours either. I did read a tip once if you travel with little kids in the car you should leave one of your shoes in the back seat so you can’t forget about them when getting out of the car.

I think I would have escalated this to a senior officer at the police station, and also contacted social services. It really is quite extraordinary that they didn't prioritise an obvious child safety issue.

Would have called police and social workers. When I called the police i would have said I am going to break the window.

Yes I would. If two kids had been left standing outside in your work car park for 4 hours in winter, would you just stand there and look at them? Or do something to help, like take them into your work and look after them until police/SS arrived? Just because they're in a car doesn't make it any different.

Surprisingly enough I would probably use something capable of breaking a glass window to do it. A large-ish stone/rock, hammer, the tyre tools from the back of my own car, office furniture, etc.

I would smash the driver's window after telling the kids to move to the passenger side in the rear of the car (assuming they were already back there) and face away from the window to protect their eyes.

It wouldn't have been up to the owner

The police have to decide if it's a crime and then forward to the CPS

We don't get to decide in this country and he/she wouldn't have had much of a leg to stand on anyway

Isn’t it just?!

Why is it a sad reflection?

This is so sad. I wonder what the circumstances were.

Someone accidentally leaving a sleeping toddler or baby in the car. It seems ridiculous but it definitely happens, and as a parent it is a terrifying thought.

But 2 older children? They tend to make noise and be aware of what’s happening. I think it would be hard to accidentally forget them so it’s much more likely they were left in the car on purpose.

Would you? How exactly would you have done it? How would you have managed to ensure you didn’t shower two small children with a volley of glass splinters?

I used a courtesy car last week and thought it was a bit weird that when you turn the engine off a big picture appears asking you to check there's no one in the back.
A sad reflection on society that this happens.

The Police should have handed it over. There were unaccompanied children, so on attendance of the FB, they'd have contacted the Police. Tbh, the Police still aren't responding to matters involving children or DV etc as they should.

Yo wouldn't get in trouble for this (ex police officer).

Smashing a car window would be an offence of criminal damage. There is an in-built defence of "lawful excuse" which would cover these circumstances.

A complaint needs to go in to the Police. Children were immediately in danger and attendance should have been instant.

Yes, you'd still be in trouble for smashing the windows and potentially injuring the children (flying glass), but I imagine the police would find the circumstances understandable.

I'm surprised no one called a local garage and asked a mechanic to break into the car, or the fire brigade.

Why did nobody call the fire brigade?

They'd have smashed the window. My foster Dad has done it a lot, it’s a more frequent occurrence than you’d expect.

”No jury would convict” may be true; but you wouldn’t usually have a jury trial for criminal damage; which I expect would be the crime here.

Those forgotten baby syndrome cases where the poor baby died haunt me. I can totally see how it could happen. If I remember rightly it tends to happen when there is a change to a usual routine. Tragic.
I hope the children were ok. I would like to think I would have broken the window especially after 4 hours!! That’s ages.

Yes you can break a window in this situation.

In the summer do not hesitate, extra minutes in a hot car can kill. Children or dogs should be rescued immediately.

In winter weather I would probably hesitate too, but if I knew they had been there 4 hours I would like to think I would break the window to let them out. How sad for them.

It's a well documented issue and happens to men and women. I've heard adverts on the radio even this year saying "remember to check the back seats for kids before you leave the car" so it's obviously a big enough deal for the government to pay for advertising. And in fact my own car when I turn it off flashes a reminder up on the dashboard to "check rear seats".

What I find surprising is that people debated on whether to smash the window. I'd have done it without hesitation

@twentysevendresses No need to name call and be quite so rude.

It's a phenomenon that happens Forgotten Baby Syndrome there are many cases where the children are asleep in the back of the car and parent drives on to work etc on autopilot.

Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't happen!

It isn’t that unusual.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgotten_baby_syndrome

Or perhaps the parent/s who left them in the first place, or the office workers who stood by and did nothing for a couple of hours? You know there were several 'blame steps' involved here, right?

Jesus, the apologist excuse of the year goes to you!!

The parents 'might have forgot' their kids for over 4 hours??? You think??? 🤔

I've read some seriously pathetic apologists for mens behaviour on here before, but this one is the absolute winner!! Who 'forgets' their two young children for what (by the time the police got there!!) was over 5 hours!! Jesus Christ!! 🤦‍♀️

I want to try this tape trick now! Might be useful one day