In Australia a Mother Gets 7 Years in Jail After Toddler Dies in Hot Car While Watching Netflix with her Boyfriend
A mother in Australia has been sentenced to seven years in prison after her toddler died in a sweltering car while she and her boyfriend were watching Netflix. The tragic incident, which occurred in November 2020, involved Laura Rose Peverill, 39, and her three-year-old daughter, Rylee Rose Black.
Rylee was left unattended in a locked car for over five hours during scorching temperatures that reached 51.5 degrees Celsius (124.7 degrees Fahrenheit). Prosecutors described the situation as “not survivable” due to the extreme heat, leading to Rylee’s death from heat stroke or thermoregulatory failure, with a body temperature of 41 degrees Celsius (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Peverill confessed in April 2023 that she and her boyfriend were watching Netflix at the time of the tragedy. She had parked the car in a shadeless driveway, removed groceries, but tragically forgot Rylee in the car. It wasn’t until she went to pick up her other children from school that she discovered Rylee, who was covered in vomit and unconscious.
Despite her negligence, Peverill’s defense attorney cited her long-standing mental health and alcohol issues, arguing that she had no intention to harm Rylee. Peverill also endured over 200 abusive online messages and death threats from strangers after the incident.
Peverill pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the Queensland Supreme Court in Townsville, and her boyfriend, Aaron Danyel Hill, faced similar charges. She was sentenced to seven years in prison, with the possibility of parole on July 3, 2025.