[user104658]

All I can say is, anyone who "doesn't believe in this" or thinks that "something like this could never happen to them"... You don't understand this element of human cognition or the potential effects of stress and distraction on memory. It could happen to anyone. Including you. If you're sure it couldn't, you are simply wrong, and most of the people this has happened to would have said exactly the same thing before it happened.

Also; it happens a LOT more than we generally hear about because it usually isn't fatal. The parent will spontaneously remember, or they'll notice just as they get out of the car / turn to get a bag etc from the back seat, or it'll be a short time away from the car, or a temperate day. Also several cases where other people have noticed and raised the alarm / smashed a window / called the police. In all of these cases the child isn't harmed, so we don't hear about it. For every horrible case like this that hits the news, there are a dozen others that have ended, thankfully, without a death.

So yeah... It's not uncommon, at all. To the extent that I personally think new cars should have safety features implemented to ensure that it can't happen. I think aftermarket solutions do exist already, but they should be "as standard" in my opinion, and a legal requirement like seat belts / carseats.