A four-year-old girl was tragically left alone on a school bus for several hours after being forgotten by staff during transport from her school to the leisure center in Dordogne on January 15. This distressing incident, which has shocked the local community and left her family reeling, sheds light on the importance of accountability within child transportation services.
The child, Rëva, was supposed to travel from her school to the leisure center near Trélissac but instead found herself on the bus until the final stop at Angoulême. "Comme elle n’était pas descendue, les animatrices du centre ont pensé que nous étions venus la chercher," recounted her mother, Isabelle Girard, expressing her disbelief and anxiety over the course of events.
On the fateful day, Rëva boarded the bus around noon, prepared for what should have been a regular afternoon excursion. Instead, she was forgotten due to what officials are calling a counting error made by the two animatrices responsible for supervising the children. This oversight resulted in Rëva remaining seated and undetected throughout the three-hour route, all alone as fellow passengers boarded and exited the vehicle.
Manuel Cholet, the bus driver from the CFTA Centre Ouest, was the first to discover Rëva at the end of the line. “Il s’en est tout de suite occupé. Comme elle avait un peu faim, il lui a donné à manger,” Cholet disclosed, highlighting his immediate action upon realizing the child's situation. Rëva’s quiet demeanor likely contributed to her being overlooked, remaining seated until she was finally spotted.
When her parents—Isabelle and her husband—learned what had happened, they were understandably horrified. Rëva was luckily found and reunited with them at approximately 18:30 the same evening. The responsible parties tried to rectify the situation swiftly, as Olivier Nicaud, the Director General of Services for the City of Trélissac, mentioned, “Dès qu’on a su, on les a prévenus et on a travaillé avec le transporteur afin d’envoyer au plus vite une animatrice et un chauffeur la récupérer.”
The consequences of this incident have rippled through the community. Nicaud classified this as “une triste erreur humaine,” attributing the fault to the two staff members who failed to properly account for all the children. Following this incident, they will face disciplinary hearings, which are set for February 7, as personnel responsible for children’s safety must be held accountable.
Isabelle Girard now contends with the emotional fallout of the event. “Aujourd’hui, ma fille voit un psy,” she revealed, considering the lasting psychological effects this may have on her young child. The couple had originally enrolled Rëva at the leisure center to help her gain social skills, but this incident has upended their trust. “Je n’ai plus du tout confiance,” Girard stated, indicating she might not send Rëva back there again.
This heartbreaking case raises serious questions about monitoring and child safety. Isabelle Girard has even hinted at taking legal action against the municipal authorities, reflecting the gravity of the situation and the fear it instilled in families reliant on these services. “Ce n’est pas parce que ce sont les enfants des autres qu’il ne faut pas en prendre soin,” she passionately stated, pushing for broader accountability among staff tasked with the care of children.
The Dordogne community is undoubtedly shaken by this event. Parents are now questioning the safety protocols and procedures for child transport, fostering discussions about how such incidents can be prevented from occurring again. With prominent figures and local authorities having to address the fallout, the lessons from this incident should be clear: child safety is non-negotiable, and every measure must be taken to protect the children during their transit.
Local officials are reviewing the existing policies to avoid future mistakes, and as the city prepares for the disciplinary hearings, the overarching message must be one of vigilance and responsibility. Rêva’s experience should remind us all of the importance of ensuring every child is accounted for, ensuring their safety and well-being at all times.