Tragic twins

We were deeply saddened at the tragic deaths of ninemonth-

old twin sisters Tylin and Tyler Campbell who

drowned in a bathtub while being cared for by a six-year-old

relative.

The babies were buried on Monday after a grief-filled

funeral at Valencia where their mother vented her emotion

at media personnel.

Our sympathy is for Tylin and Tyler, who now join a list of

children in recent years who were struck down by tragedy

including car accidents and murder.

We also reach out to the twins’ six-year-old relative, herself

a child, who was clearly unable to mind the babies. She

likely now carries a hellish burden of guilt, unfairly in our

view, which will need the best counselling available in this

country.

This tragedy has lessons for us all, particularly for parents

who leave their children in the care of others. Of course

accidents and neglect can happen even when parents are

present. According to reports the twins were left in the care

of a six-year-old child who began bathing them, left to

answer the telephone, and returned to find them drowned.

It is a basic truth that life is hard. Moreso family life is

very hard. Child-minding, especially of infants, is especially

hard work. Small children have to be watched continuously.

You just can’t take your eyes off of them, in a cry we hear all

the time. Our country is peppered with tragic deaths of

infants that occurred in “just a moment” that a bereaved

parent typically says had their back turned. We recall several

years ago when an improperly mounted concrete washbasin

fell and fatally crushed an infant, who adults had left

unwatched for just a little while. Within memory, another

infant playing at the edge of a drain outside his home was

washed away by flood waters in just an instant. Several children,

who were left locked in their home for “just a while”,

were all burnt to death. In the present tragedy, the three

children – Tylin, Tyler and the six-year-old – were all reportedly

locked in the house with no adult present, and speculation

arises as to what would have happened if there had been

a fire.

Children have a natural curiosity to explore the world

around them – that is how they learn – but it also brings

them into contact with a host of household hazards.

Watching children is a job one does for 24 hours a day, seven

days a week. Children just can’t be watched enough. It’s difficult

enough even if there is an adult present. Child-minding

becomes an even tougher task if passed on to a childminder

who herself is only six years old, and who was waiting

for the babysitter to arrive.

The officiating pastor at the twins’ funeral said such a

tragedy could happen to anyone. That may be true to the

extent that you can never completely eliminate danger from

your child’s life, but nevertheless parents have a duty to do

everything possible to reduce the risks.

Pastor Peter Regis told mourners to pray for the family

and the souls of the dead twins. We endorse that call. Just as

importantly, we urge people to heed the lessons of this terrible tragedy.