5-year-old girl was left alone at kindergarten. Caregiver assured her mother that the child was on the trip

The District Court in Jelenia Góra issued a non-final judgment against a 46-year-old kindergarten caregiver accused of unintentionally exposing a child to the immediate danger of loss of life or serious injury. The case concerns an incident that occurred during a trip organized for children attending one of the kindergartens in Jelenia Góra.

As reported by the District Prosecutor’s Office in Jelenia Góra, the woman was found guilty of an offense under Article 160 § 3 of the Criminal Code. The court imposed a fine of 250 daily rates of PLN 40 each, totaling PLN 10,000. She was also banned for five years from holding positions and performing any work involving the care of children.

The incident occurred on August 9, 2024. According to investigators’ findings, the caregiver served as the trip manager despite not having the required qualifications specified in regulations concerning the organization of school and kindergarten trips.

The prosecutor’s office established that serious neglect had already occurred during the preparations for the trip. The woman did not prepare a list of participants and did not verify the presence of all the children before the coach departed.

The result? One of the participants, a 5-year-old girl, was not taken on the trip.

The child remained without supervision on the kindergarten premises for approximately six hours. Investigators also indicated that the caregiver did not check the children’s presence during the journey or after arriving at the destination.

What is more, a telephone conversation with the girl’s mother proved to be a particularly significant element of the case. The woman called to make sure that her daughter was taking part in the trip. According to the findings of the proceedings, the caregiver assured her that the child was with the group and that… she was having a good time. (In reality, the girl remained on the kindergarten premises the entire time).

The defendant, who had no previous criminal record, did not plead guilty to the offense.

The preparatory proceedings were conducted by the Municipal Police Headquarters in Jelenia Góra under the supervision of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Jelenia Góra. The judgment issued on June 2, 2026, is not final.