Townsville dad’s plea after daughter Rylee Rose dies in hot car

A Queensland father is pushing for urgent action to stop more children from suffering the same “horrifying” fate as his own daughter.

Townsville father Peter Black is calling for the compulsorary installation of child detection software in all new cars after losing his three-year-old daughter, Rylee Rose.

Mr Black told Nine News her death still gives him “nightmares,” after Rylee was left in her mother’s locked Toyota Prado on a 32C day.

Temperatures inside the car could have climbed as high as 60C.

Rylee’s mother Laura Peverill and her boyfriend Aaron Hill have been charged with manslaughter. Police allege they left Rylee in the car after returning from taking her older sisters to school at about 9am.

The young girl allegedly remained in the car until about 3pm. Ms Peverill took her to hospital, but it was too late to save her.

In November 2020, the Townsville Magistrates Court heard the couple were watching the Netflix program Shameless while Rylee was stuck in the car.

Peter Black with his daughter Rylee.

“Just thinking about what my little girl went through, it’s horrifying,” said Mr Black.

“She was such a cheeky kid, always getting up to mischief, but she loved nothing more than snuggling up for a cuddle and a kiss.”

In honour of this daughter, Mr Black has begun a parliamentary petition, which has accumulated nearly 1500 signatures.

Open until December 29, it calls on the federal government to ensure the compulsory installation of electronic warning systems that detect children who have been left alone in all new vehicles. This could include in-car motion sensors and cameras which alert the driver or bystanders that a child or pet has been left behind.

“Currently there is no requirement in the Australian Design Rules for vehicles to include electronic warning systems for the detection of children left alone in vehicles, to alert relevant people to the imminent danger they are in,” he says in the petition.

“This leads to unnecessary loss of young life and significant grief for family, friends and the wider community.”

The government says it is “participating in discussions” about the idea.

Since Rylee Rose’s (bottom right) death, her sisters have been have with her biological father, who is not accused of any wrongdoing. Picture: Supplied.

According to Kidsafe Australia, 10 children have died after being locked in a hot car, with over half those deaths occurring in Queensland.

According to NSW Ambulance, 2018 alone saw over 2250 children rescued from vehicles by paramedics and other emergency services.

Kidsafe Australia placed that number at over 5000.