POLOKWANE – The Seshego police have opened a culpable homicide case following the tragic death of a three-year-old girl who was found locked inside a motor vehicle on Monday (October 27).

According to the Limpopo police, officers received a call at around 15:10 about an incident at Seshego Hospital and immediately responded.

“Upon arrival, they met with a doctor who pointed out a blue Toyota Corolla Cross parked inside the hospital yard. The child had been found unresponsive in the back seat with the windows closed. Medical personnel attempted to assist but declared her dead on the scene, saying she had suffocated from extreme heat and lack of oxygen,” the Limpopo police spokesperson, Col Malesela Ledwaba said.

The maximum temperature in Seshego on Monday was 30°C.

Ledwaba said preliminary investigations revealed that the child’s mother, who works at the hospital, had allegedly left her daughter in the car around 07:00 when she went to attend a handover session and forgot the child was inside.

“A forensic post-mortem will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death, while police investigations continue,” he said.

According to the AA, temperatures in cars can climb rapidly. Even if a window is cracked slightly open, the inside temperature will be several degrees higher than the outside temperature.

“Children and pets who are left in cars are vulnerable and can become dehydrated quickly,” their website reads.

While there is no law against it, leaving a child alone in a car is considered negligence and a serious risk.

According to South African law, a case like this would be handled under general child neglect and endangerment statutes.