I was a prison custody officer and on more than one occasion my two year old would hide in the back seat of my car , i drove 7 miles without realising she was there , but she did make some kind of noise or shuffle and I found her, returning her home ..maybe their car music must have been on !

karen, wirral, merseyside

These were terrible incidents. I personally never put my child in daycare, and have still locked him in the car with my keys a couple of times, and have gotten out at least once, initially forgetting he was in the car. Remembered prior to walking away that my hands were empty. Can Happen to anyone

Vanessa, Augusta, USA

The world's full of Noddy drivers.

Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Japan

As a father of four small children, I can only imagine the horror. I can understand labeling it neglect. But, I find it surprising that some cannot comprehend the possibility that something like this could happen to anyone. This is a horrible accident that will haunt the parents involved forever.

Jason, Fort Worth, USA

What the article forgets to mention is that most young french children have a dummy in their mouths, up to 6-7 years, so the child is quietly sucking away in the back.

Anyway its a pretty sad situation

Paul, Toulouse, France

I am myself a forgetful person. I forget my car keys, forget where I left my shoes, forget why I was headed in a particular room, etc. I have been a mom for almost 8 yrs, and have never, never NEVER forgotten my children!!!!!! Some things are important enough to keep on your radar screen, always

Laura C, Cincinnati,

...perhaps if we weren't all so busy running our kids out the door, off to day care to be raised by strangers so we could have our own life, we wouldn't be reading about these tragedies. People, slow down, take a breath, raise your own kids, stop putting your selfish needs before your children.

lconnock, west chester,

I don't buy this "I forgot my kids..." story for a minute. A decent parent would never forget their kids for an entire day, male of female. If you are that preoccupied, don't have kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have no business being responsible for another life. Don't even get a dog.

lconnock, west chester,

Have mercy. There but for fortune go you and I.

Marci, Hollywood, CA, USA

This type of thing happens everywhere but it all boils down to the fact the adult is responsible for the child and they are putting their own welfare over their children's. My husband and I just never could forget where our children were when they were young, or older for that matter.

Julia, Seattle, Washington

I live in Brazil and two cases simmilar to these have happened not to long ago. In both circunstances, men were driving their kids to school. May be it's connected to a supposed inability of men at dealing with too many information at the same time, together with lots of stress.

Clarissa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Unfortunately this occurs frequently in he US as well. Looking at news from most big cities, it has happened. And it has happened in my city also. It must be a horrible nightmare for the parents. They deserve our prayers.

Lynne, Pittsburgh, USA

I read all the comments and all I say is may god take are of the souls of the children and the fathers.

christine , fredericton, canada

All those who feel that 'if it had been the mother...'. I totally disagree. I do not feel the mothers would have been treated any differently.
I feel, though it imust be a terrible way to die, these children are in a much better place - Heaven. We should all pray for the families and not judge.

Peter, Hope Mills, USA

Ipods, cell phones, the radio blaring bad news, rush to appointments, other peoples demands, too much to do not enough time, not enough sleep, worries, fears, many added because we had children, given all the demands on our minds and bodies, I'm amazed more children don't die of simple human error.

Donnee, San Francisco, United States

I've driven hundreds of times with my child or grandchild in the back in their carseats I cannot imagine a young child being so quiet that you do not know they are their.
Diane, New York City

Diane, New York , United States

I find these stories incredible, although not entirely unexpected. Many adults seem so self pre-occupied that thought about the welfare of others seems beyond their abilities. My son when very young was impossible to forget. A journey out was always focussed around conveying him not just myself.

Colin , Carmarthen, United Kingdom

I have forgotten my two year step daughter a few times, especially when I park in the garage and walk straight into the house, when I have been in the house a while I think huh, it's quiet. All you talking about rear view mirrors, if they face the passengers, thats called dangerous driving.

Anne, Nottingham,

If you can 'switch off' when you are responsible for the wellbeing of your children, then you shouldn't have children at all. Bringing a life into the world is a priviledge, not a right. I don't care what the circumstances were, there is no excuse for that level of negligence.

Andrea, London,

I've also managed to get to work before noticing that I'd forgotten to drop my daughter off at nursery.
And yes I do have/use rear view mirrors, but they're positioned to look out the car, not at the rear seats. I suspect this is very common, especially if you don't have the same routine each day.

Andy, London, UK

if the mothers had done this, the press and the public would want them strung from the nearest tree. why does 'stress' always seem to excuse men and not women?

C Hurley, Edinburgh, Uk

Some 30 years ago, a similar story: parents of 3 girls, newly arrived in Canada and anxious to join mainstream customs, were so busy on Christmas Eve they didn't realise each had tucked in only 1 child. Youngest found frozen in carseat on Christmas morning. (See, even strangers don't forget.)

Diane, Sutton,

Thank God this happened in France where the authorities are much more humane in their treatment of such cases. My sympathies to the fathers in these cases - their lives have been ruined by a moments distraction. Not every child seat is positioned so as to be seen by the driver.

wendy, london, England

When my brother was 4/5 my mom left him in the car when she went into the bank. He got bored and got out. She came back & drove off making several stops before going home. She didnt even think about him when she got home assumng all of us kids were playing outside only to have the police call.

anne, nottingham,

Quote: "50C heat kills student left in car." Guess when this happened? On July 29 1997. The day it happened? It was a Tuesday, as was July 15 2008 and seven days before that. Quote: "Mr Allarousse told detectives he had forgotten his son after witnessing a traffic accident after lunch on July 15."

George Wasintown, Helmant,

maybe they should consider front carseats again!!!!!!!!!!!!

D, WIXOM, USA

Denise - I think if you ask around you'll find a surprising number of parents have forgotten where they last put their children down at one time or another. Fortunately, it rarely results in a tragedy on this scale and passes into family folklore.

Esther, London,

In the 1970s when people sometimes still left babies in prams outside shops in order to be able to nip round quicker, it was fairly common to hear stories of women who would get home with their bags then realise they had in their haste forgotton the baby. Back then we had local shops though...

sam, reading,

EVEE of stoke - pleased for you that you never forget things. Myself set off to work once and forgot to drop sleeping daughter at nursery - wasn't until I got to the office and opened the rear door to get my jacket realised she was there in her seat. No harm done, but shows how easy it can be done.

Herbie Read, Lancaster, England

I also have small children. We rush to get them to nursery etc, all while trying to get to work on time. And I agree with some of the comments-you just can't forget your children. The sympathy here for the fathers is quite astounding!. A horrible death at the hands of their own father-just criminal!

Peter, Bracknell,

I have often forgotton my child (2 1/2) is in the car. I put her there, dummy in and she is quiet as a mouse. When seated behind me I cannot see her. I have picked other children up and they have not noticed her either. It is possible. My other two were noisy even with dummies.

Name withheld, Warwickshire, UK

Rather than condemn, it might be useful to try to solve the problem. I've heard of people always placing briefcase or handbag in the back seat, for example, child on board or not. Perhaps someone could invent an alarm system for child seats. I agree with others it could happen to anyone.

Bob, Roanoke, VA, USA

This is awful... Imagine being the father; imagine killing your child without knowing it. This reminds us of how easilly mankinds simple flaws can end in tragedy.

Marie, Oslo, Norway

I am a forgetful person and have nightmares over such an occurence. I set an alarm on my mobile phone to remind me to pick kids up from school/nursery etc. I think men are more likely to do such things, as its often outside of our normal routine. A terrible tragedy these men will judge themselves.

David, Bicester, UK

I do feel incredibly sorry for these men and the guilt they must be going through. However I must admit, I do believe that if a mother had left her child in the car there would be more of a backlash as she is seen as the natural carer.

Margot, Fife,

What a terribly sad story. My prayers go to the children and my thoughts to their fathers and family. I can understand how this can happen. The stress of corporate life and the robot lifestyle of daily commuting go hand in hand with forgetfulness. Let us not judge, for no-one is perfect.

Piers Edwards, Reading, UK

I feel sick for this man. The scale of his work-life balance was clearly tipping. The child must have been asleep (therefore silent), the man must have been stressed, (therefore distracted) Have some symapathy people. This mans life has changed .

Francine Morris, Manchester, UK

Neglect is neglect. If these accidents had been made by a devoted and loving single mother on benefits, there's no doubt that they would have been treated differently. What a twisted society we live in.

Steve, London,

Denise - you can forget anything. Innocent until proven guilty.

Ian Johnson, Christchurch, New Zealand

Reading between the lines, you can learn a lot about human limitations. Both these men loved and cherished their children, yet they carelessly allowed them to die. The sad fact is that's just human nature. Maybe a woman could never forget (although I doubt it) but men can - ordinary, good men.

Tom Welsh, Basingstoke,

Given motor manufacturer's predeliction for adding safety gizmos and warning beeps to cars, perhaps now is the time to add a parked-car temperature regulation system?

Barry Unwin, Hebburn, England

Don't they have rear mirrors in France?

Vince, Brighton, UK

Those people who dont understand how a man could forget somehting as important has his young daughter have no idea the levels of stress that many men are under at work. Paricularly those whose employers are unsympathetic to fathering (many),
or those whose employers are near to crashing (even more)

andrew, London, England

The sam happened in Italy a little while ago: a mother frgot her dady girl in the back seat who died. She was a teacher and so her mobile phone was switched off and nobody could contact her.... she was not condemned outright but was the object fo great sympathy from the media and public.

Joan, Milan, Italy

As a mere male, I hesitate to say this, but I do not think that men are good minders for small children. Women seem to have an inbuilt radar that alerts them to danger to their children. Men do not, and tend to become distracted. I will now put on my tin helmet and flak jacket...

Nicholas Lee, Windsor, UK

That just demonstrates the unbelievable pressures of modern day life. I can certainly understand how it happened.

MGrelton, London, UK

It's terrible and very sadly! How can you forget your own child?
It's not only in France,also in USA and other countries. What happened with the peoples?

Alex, Minusinsk, Russia

How vindictive people are. I (a woman with 2 young kids by the way) have been half way along the motorway on my way to work when my 10 year old pipes up "mum, have you forgotten something?" It is an unbelievably tragic case of simple, human forgetfulness.

pip, uk,

I'm a little shocked at some of the lecturing tones of some self-righteous posters here. Let's hope you never have to reflect on this tragedy within the context of your own lives and choices and consider it in conjunction with your haughty pedestal-esque commentary.

James Cullup, Oxford,

I once forgot to drop my daughter at the nursery and drove to a meeting 20 miles away, she had fallen asleep and I was talking to my boss (hands free of course). Fortunately my boss was sympathetic and got his PA to mind her. He then agreed my previously denied request for flexible working!

Sam, Sheffield, S Yorks

I wholeheartedly agree with Nigel. Some people are very quick to condemn what is outside there own experience.
Lapses of concentration are common with parents of young children. Maybe we should count our blessings.

Helen , London,

today, there are "stress-work" only!!! this is the worst to society

toni, vlc, spain

Why is there such sympathy for these fathers? If a mother had done such a thing there would be a chorus of condemnation.

Abby, London,

I am just so sad reading this.

A Everist, Sunderland, England

Who put the child in the car in the first place . And how can you fail to notice that you have a child in the car with you. Every car I have, and I have eight, you can see who is in the back seat from glancing in the rear view mirror. And what was the mother/child minder doing ?. Real X-Files stuff

Morse, Oxford,

You won't need to send this guy to jail, he'll punnish himself more than any prison could ever do , everyday of his life. In fact he may never recover his mental state of mind at all. Truely tragic.

James, Windsor ,

To lose a child in such an avoidable manner is a tragedy. Those with callous unfeeling hearts may choose this as an opportunity to lecture and berate. Naturally those with such a disposition, while never having lapses of concentration themselves, are quick off the mark to condemn.

Nigel Wroe, Doncaster, Yorkshire

I agree with Claire you cannot FORGET you have a toddler with you. Any one who has children can tell you this. Unless he had blacked out windows he would of seen the child when he got out of the car and went to lock it. I think the truth about what really happened will eventually come out.

Denise, London, Britian

Claire, the article clearly states that he FORGOT the child was in the car. There is no mention of how the child came to be in the car so it's entirely possible he put her there himself. The point is he FORGOT. A terrible terrible trajedy.

M.C., London,

I don't believe that he does not know the child is in the car. I have 2 1/2 years old daughter and she wakes up 7 am everyday, speaks a lot, can't sit for a long time. If she sleeps, how on earth sleeping in the car by herself before 9 am without anybody knowing?

Claire, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

And this guy, who obviously spends his entire life in a daze, is working at Areva, the French state nuclear operator?

Thomas Goodey, Cuxton-upon-Medway, England