The article "Chronicles from Lisbon: Forgotten and Abandoned", written by retired economist Serafim Marques, addresses the problem of forgotten and abandoned children and elderly people in Portugal. The central case that motivated the chronicle was the death of an 18-month-old girl who was forgotten inside a parked vehicle on Avenida do Cristo Rei, in Almada, near a daycare center. The child remained in the car for approximately seven hours and died due to intense heat, probably from sunstroke or dehydration.
The article presents several similar cases of children forgotten in school transport vehicles. In 2019, in Cascais, a 3-year-old child died after being forgotten for hours in a school van. In 2023, in Lisbon, a mother left her 10-month-old daughter inside the car for approximately 7 hours, resulting in the child's death. In 2023, in Sintra, a 4-year-old child was forgotten for 3 hours in a van in the sun, but survived. In 2022, in Porto, a 5-year-old boy was left in the van after the route ended and was found at the end of the day. In 2021, in Loures, two children were forgotten in the van. The author questions the care and procedures of the employees responsible for transporting children.
The article also addresses cases of abandonment, highlighting two French siblings aged 3 and 5 who were abandoned in a rural area along the national road of Alcácer do Sal in May. The mother and stepfather left the children and were located two days later at a terrace in Fátima, over 300 kilometers from the abandonment site. A baker passing through the area alerted authorities through 112, saving the children.
On August 8th, a 22-month-old child fell from a fourth floor in Caldas da Rainha. The child was under the responsibility of two teenage sisters aged 15 and 16 who did not notice that the conservatory window was open. At the same time, in Vila Franca de Xira, a boy left home and got lost in agricultural fields near a ravine, while his 19-year-old brother was sleeping after the mother had left early for work. The boy was found safe and sound. The article also criticizes the abandonment of elderly people in hospitals and other places, mentioning that family members provide false information and do not pick up the elderly after medical discharge.
