Charging Whanganui mother ‘wrong action to take’
3News 17 April 2015
A Whanganui woman is to appear in the High Court next month, charged with manslaughter over the death of her toddler.
The boy was left in her car on a hot day and the incident is believed to be New Zealand’s first court case of Forgotten Baby Syndrome.
Around 200 children have died in similar circumstances around the world over the past 15 years.
Canterbury University’s head of law Dr Chris Gallavin joined Paul Henry to discuss whether charges should be laid in cases like these.
“This is the wrong action to take,” says Dr Gallavin.
“What are we going to do here? We’re going to prosecute a stressed-out parent over something that is an absolute tragedy, where more often than not, cases like this are a discharge without conviction – I bet my bottom dollar it’s going to happen here.”
He says he questions where the interest in justice in this situation is.
http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/paulhenry/interviews/charging-whanganui-mother-wrong-action-to-take#axzz3cPiRP0cw
