Santa Catarina’s prosecutor’s office and police are investigating how a child got out of a daycare and reached the street. A neighbor found the girl and returned her to the center.
The child walked out of a municipal daycare on Avenida Mauro Ramos in Florianópolis on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The Santa Catarina Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPSC) said the gate may have been open and no staff member was controlling access. Security cameras recorded the incident.
A neighbor of the child’s mother found her on the street and brought her back to the daycare. Military police responded, and the child protection police unit is also investigating. Authorities interviewed the officers, the center’s director, a teacher, a security guard, the child’s mother and the woman who found her.
Florianópolis’ municipal education department told CNN Brasil that it had opened an administrative inquiry. A technical inspection found the access structure, including its gates and locks, to be in proper condition. Officials are now trying to determine where the access-control procedure failed. The city said it was cooperating with police and had provided security footage and other relevant information.
The MPSC opened a separate inquiry into the possible safety risk to the child. No individual responsibility had been established at the time of publication.