Negligent parents should be charged in court

“She just went to the pasar malam for awhile.”

“She just went out to buy instant noodles.”

“He just went to the surau.”

All three children in these cases – Nurin Jazlin Jazimin (8), Nurul Nadirah (5) and Noor Amila Edrus Norsham (5) – are now dead. Their bodies were found after they were reported missing by their parents. Nurin Jazlin was allowed to go to the night market alone. Nurul Nadirah was allowed to go to a nearby shop alone. Noor Amila Edrus had gone to the surau alone, or maybe with friends.

We shouldn’t forget Sharlinie Mohd Nashar (5) and Muhamad Asmawi Jalaludin (11), who are still missing. And they are just two of many.

How many of these cases can’t be traced back to neglect? How many cases of children going missing were not due to their being allowed to wander on their own?

In the cases of the murdered children, the criminals should be responsible of course, and the police and the courts will make sure they are punished.

But what about the parents? Apparently, many parents still think we’re living in the good old sixties, when it was still safe to let children roam free.

Unfortunately, it’s still common in many neighbourhoods to see children playing in the streets well into the night. Quite often, there are no adults with them.

Other than cases of blatant abuse, we hardly see negligent parents being taken to court and charged with neglect.

How many parents have been dragged to court for negligence in cases of children being kidnapped or killed? What about parents who forget that they’ve left their kids in the car and hours later find them dead? Such cases are by no means rare. We have read countless reports about them.

How are we caring for children when we don’t fight for their basic right to be in the company of adults at all times? Perhaps due consideration can be given to disabled parents, but in most of the cases we read about, the parents are able-bodied people who appear to have an abundance of trust in their children and in strangers.

The same goes for parents who choose to take their children to shopping malls but prefer to window shop or look at their handphones rather than keep an eye on their active children.

Cases of children falling to their death in malls or even at their own homes have no longer become isolated incidents. Neither have cases of children being injured by escalators because their parents were not paying attention.

When are we going to demand that negligent parents be made to face the law?

The harsh reality is that today it may be the neighbour’s kid, tomorrow it may very well be yours if you choose to rest in ignorance.

Wake up and smell the danger.

If parents can no longer be trusted to keep their kids safe, then it is high time the law steps in.

It is true that bad things can happen despite all precautions, but why do we have to tempt fate?

If something bad does happen, at least as a parent, you will know that you had done everything in your power to keep your child safe. At least then people can sympathise with you without also pointing a finger at you.

As vocal as we adults are about fighting corruption, we should be louder in fighting for the safety of our children.

Start insisting that the authorities charge negligent parents. Maybe then people will think twice before allowing their kids to wander off alone or even with friends.

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