Driver and a woman are CHARGED over the death of a three-year-old boy ‘who was left in a daycare minibus for SIX HOURS’ before his body was found
- Body was found inside minibus parked outside Hambledon State School, Cairns
- The three-year-old had allegedly been picked up about six hours earlier
- Alleged driver, 45 and a 34-year-old female employee were charged on Monday
A man and woman have been charged with manslaughter after the death of a three-year-old boy who was allegedly left on daycare minibus.
The boy’s body was found inside the vehicle parked outside Hambledon State School in Cairns, about 2km from his daycare, at 3.15pm Tuesday.
He had allegedly been picked up at about 9.30am that morning. Temperatures reached 36C in Cairns that day.
The grim discovery was made on Stokes Street, Edmonton, in Far North Queensland, at 3.15pm on Tuesday. Pictured: the scene where police are investigating
‘The alleged driver of the bus, a 45-year-old Bentley Park man and a 34-year-old female employee from Manunda who was also on the bus have been charged with one count each of manslaughter,’ police said on Monday night.
They are due to face Cairns Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
A spokesman for Goodstart Early Learning, which operated the bus, previously told Daily Mail Australia the company was ‘devastated’ to learn of the child’s death.
‘We are working to support the entire centre team, our families and our children,’ the spokesman said.
The boy was found in a bus outside Hambledon State School, just 1.7km from his daycare, Goodstart Early Learning, in Edmonton (pictured)
‘The matter is now a police investigation and we will be working with the police, Department of Education (childhood education and care), and Workplace health and Safety.
‘Our thoughts are very much with the family of the child at this time.’
The centre was closed on the day after the tragedy, with an ominous sign in its car park reading ‘do not leave babies and children in parked cars’.
More to come.
Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the child’s death