Three-Year-Old Walks Out of Kindergarten in Bauska and Covers Two Kilometres Alone
A three-year-old boy left his group room and the grounds of a kindergarten in Bauska and made his way home alone. His family has gone to the police and is questioning the facility's safety.
A three-year-old boy in Bauska left his group room at the “Pasaulīte” kindergarten, then walked out of the grounds altogether, prompting concern from his family. A relative of the boy described the incident on social media.
The route through town
According to the author of the post, the child walked about two kilometres by himself. He crossed the town centre, where traffic and foot traffic are heavy. The boy reportedly went to his mother's workplace at a hotel but did not find her there. He then reached the “Māja&dārzs” shop, where he tried to buy sweets, and finally headed home.
The relative stresses that no adult noticed in time that the small child was moving around alone. The story ended without harm, but his relatives are now asking questions about the kindergarten's safety.
An earlier case and the police
The family finds it especially troubling that a similar incident reportedly took place at the same kindergarten about three months ago, when two girls left the grounds. The author says the institution promised in the summer to prevent such cases from happening again.
The family searched for the boy in cooperation with the police. He was talkative enough to describe his adventure afterwards, and his relatives checked his account. Reports have been filed with the police and statements given. The family wants to establish how the child got out of the kindergarten and who was responsible. They were also angered that the kindergarten itself reportedly did not inform the police before the parents learned what had happened.
Discussion in the comments
Other commenters recalled similar experiences. One man said he once climbed over a fence and walked home, about 1.1 kilometres away; his teacher noticed his absence only after roughly 20 minutes. A woman suggested that such cases may be encouraged by inadequate fencing, easily opened gates and a large number of children per adult. Some commenters expressed dismay at bystanders' indifference and asked why no shop employee stopped the child.
