<< The issue here is that this woman was trying to fulfil her expected duty and hold down a job, while at the same time confronting a dilemma in which she perceived a need to protect the welfare of her daughter.. She has my complete sympathy, notwithstanding the fact that I would not have left my nine year-old home alone.… >>

Yes Poirot, this woman was trying to manage a difficult situation and be a responsible parent in doing so. In the circumstances, I respect her decision to let her child stay home alone for the day, and I don’t think that the law should have a part to play here.

It is interesting to note that Queensland alone in this country has deemed it necessary to introduce this sort of law. So parental responsibility prevails elsewhere…. and by all accounts that seems to work just fine.

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<< …we cannot expose our children to any sort of risk can we? We simply cannot trust people to make parenting decisions for themselves. >>

Yes Bugsy, here we have a classic case of lawful overprotectiveness and therefore overintrusivenss.

C’mon Qld, dump this silly law come in line with the rest of the country!

Clearly, it demonstrates gross negligence, excuses notwithstanding. Punish it sternly lest the inch become a mile.

Leaving any child at any age ( under 15 or to law imho) is gross negligence. I agree with some of the posts, thanks to the link, in which the neighbour that is so concerned, and lets not forget society and the old ways of how the past neighbour-hoods used to be a collective situation, where we all helped each other and share with trust as it used to be, but in this day and age it seems like everyone just helps themselves and to hell with giving a hand to our fellow human beings. ( paranoid old world, isn't it? )- the more humans you have, the more problems you get.

I feel that this mother had other alternatives to access other than the one that she has chosen. The police were right to engage in this matter and I can only imagine the neighbour hood that she lives in must have other issues concerning the neighbours, hence why she could not seek that alternative.

I would of thought an educated woman would of had more sence.

TTM