News of a little girl who remains in critical condition after being left in a hot car in Shaanxi Province for an hour has sparked outrage on social media over a lack of accountability for negligent parents.
Five-year-old Feifei of Fuping county was found unconscious by her grandparents and another relative, who left her inside the running vehicle as they ran errands on July 23 as temperatures reached 33 C, The Beijing News reported.
The incident marks the 12th such case this year, which so far have claimed the lives of five children, the paper reported.
The grandparents told authorities they had left the air-conditioning on, but were unaware that temperature controls automatically turn off when the car is locked.
Feifei was rushed to hospital, where she was diagnosed to have suffered from brain and other organ failure. She remains in critical condition.
The Beijing News reported that at least 10 of 21 cases of children left in vehicles over the past three years were a result of parent negligence.
However, none faced criminal charges, even in cases where children died.
Many social media users called on authorities to impose harsh punishment on people whose negligence results in child death.
"I think those parents should be charged with manslaughter, and anybody who takes care of children, even for a brief moment, should be held responsible for their safety," netizen "FF" commented.
