Irresponsible family members - mad

[Lemon666]

My DB and SIL have just left their two kids (11 and 12 years old) home alone for three days. They went 10 hours drive from home.

Stop telling us and tell the police.

The problem is with ringing is that we don't have enough contact with them to anticipate if they'll do it again.

Even if it's legal, wouldn't the police take an interest in checking that they'e safe?

Poor little kids.

Lemon, it doesn't matter if they do it again, it matters that these children are currently in a situation that isn't safe for them.
They are unable to take care of themselves.
Call the American police. Give over the address. And sleep better tonight knowing you have done right by your niece and nephew-- something that no one else seems to be doing.

I think the OP means that they have already done it. They are not planning to do it, they have already left the kids alone. If it is legal, telling the police after the fact will have no effect, because they'll have no grounds for concern.
I suppose one can only be grateful that nothing awful happened.

I mean, what I understood from the OP is that the parents have gone away, left them, and come back again - so the kids are not alone any longer.

Good grief, that's appalling. Children that age may be ok home alone for a couple of hours, but DAYS!! If there was any sort of emergency how on earth would they know what to do and how to cope?
Db and his wife need a good talking to.
If it's not illegal it's certainly irresponsible and ill advised.

Poor kids, they do get scared being alone at that age. It's very sad. I am not sure what you can do from abroad.

I'm in CA. The law on that is somewhat weird. Technically leaving a child home alone is not illegal in and of itself, BUT you can still be prosecuted for child endangerment and/or child abuse. And in some municipalities leaving a child home alone overnight is considered 'de facto' endangering a child. Note that nothing bad has to actually happen for someone to be convicted of child endangerment. The child just has to be placed in a situation where it could happen. (California Penal Code 273a PC). If the child is actually harmed, that's considered child abuse.

So your relatives are technically right in that it's not illegal to leave them alone, but they could still be prosecuted for child endangerment if someone turns them in.

If the police were called they probably would take the children into care simply to avoid liability if they were to leave them and then something happened. Whether or not they'd prosecute the parents, who knows, but it wouldn't surprise me.

So your DB and his DW are home from their trip now?

Sounds very like UK law Across.