However, the main point that I would like to bring to note here is 15 years old, and the time of death, between 1.10 am and 2 am. While the authority has taken the steps to charged the policeman involved in the case, what’s due is, action towards the other party involved in this case.
While it’s against the law to talk about the on going case, I’m wondering if there would be anybody who will raise the child neglect aspect in this case. Child neglect that is so obvious that it resulted in a death.
What is an underage child doing outside of his secured house, in the wee hours, driving his sister car without license with or without his parent’s knowledge? Where is the responsible caretaker of this good boy?
Child neglect, while not a legal definition including Wikipedia could be separated into the following types: Failure to provide which includes Physical neglect, Emotional neglect, Medical neglect and Educational neglect. Failure to supervise includes Inadequate supervision and Exposure to violent environment. According to the Child Act 2001, a child means a person under the age of eighteen years. Also in the Child Act, it’s stated that any person who, being a person have the care of a child abuses, neglects, abandon or exposes the child in a manner likely to cause him physical or emotional injury commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or to both.
For a 15 years old to be out and about driving a car after midnight is sheer neglect. It is dangerous for even an adult let alone a child to be allowed to do so.
While this is incident is not an isolated case, as a lot of us has seen underage children driving around without license, wandering late at night and even smoking in public, yet when an incident like this occur, we forget the fundamental of it all. Such incident won’t happen if rules are followed and care takers are more responsible. In my adolescent’s years, my parents would be on their heels if I were not home by Maghrib let alone if I’m not home by 10pm. I would have been grounded. It happens less then 10 years ago and how time has changed.
In developed country, neglect cases such as this would result in action taken towards the caretaker. There are no such things as leaving your kids unattended or even not knowing where they are. Not that I want us to be anal in our political correctness like some lawyers are, but when its good for everyone’s well being, why don’t we take some heed from them?
At the end of the day, I hope this would be a lesson to all. For the police to do their job, we have to weight in by being a more responsible citizen. Rules are there for a purpose. Question is, the Corporal is facing the consequences of his actions, will the parents of the victim do?
