How old is old enough to leave your child unattended?
A mother who left her five children alone in a van while she and her partner gambled for two hours has escaped conviction.
The 29-year-old was discharged without conviction, partly on the grounds that she plans to become a social worker. Her 39-year-old partner, however, the man being ordered to pay $132 court costs.
The children, ages ranging from 11 months to nine years, were left in the van at SkyCity Casino on February 26 this year. The kids were found after a couple heard them crying from outside the van.
Is a discharge acceptable here? When is a child old enough to be left alone?