Infant dies in Portugal after father leaves her inside hot car parked in 26°C heat

A 10-month-old infant in Portugal met a fatal end after her father mistakenly left her inside a car for several hours. The father, who reportedly works as a professor at a university located near the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, is said to have forgotten to drop the child at a nursery before heading to work.

The child, whose name has not been revealed, later died after being inside the hot car for seven long hours. After realising what he had done, the father called emergency services. While teams tried to revive the infant, she was declared dead at the scene as a result of the heat. 

What led to the fatal mistake? 

According to Metro, the vehicle was parked near the NOVA University campus creche on Tuesday. The father later went to his office at the university’s school of science and technology. Investigators are now attempting to find out whether the deceased child had been asleep in the car or the father simply left her behind accidentally. 

On Tuesday, the weather in the region was about 26°C, meaning that the temperature inside the car could have been double. After finding out about the child's unfortunate death, the mother rushed to the scene. The parents have been given psychological support.

An investigation is currently being conducted by the Policia Judiciaria police force in the city of Setubal. So far, the results of the child's autopsy have not been revealed and are unlikely to be made public. While the case may be tragic, this isn't the first time that children have lost their lives by being forgotten inside a parked car. 

Last month, a 1-year-old girl in New York died after her grandmother left her in the rear seat of a car for eight hours. According to a press release by the Suffolk County Police Department, the grandmother had forgotten to drop her grandchild at daycare. “Approximately eight hours later, the woman went to pick up the child at the day care, located on Redwood Lane in Smithtown, when she realized she had left the child in her vehicle,” police said.