Saint-Benoît: Three-year-old girl found abandoned in school bus

A three-year-old girl was found abandoned in a parked school bus at the Sainte-Anne depot in Saint-Benoît. The child was discovered crying by a passerby after being left behind during her school commute.

Despite strict safety protocols requiring students to be checked during boarding and exiting, the girl was not noticed when she failed to disembark at her school. Two female attendants were on duty during the trip. CIREST has identified shared responsibility between the driver and the attendants.

In response, L’intercommunalité de l’Est has suspended the two staff members involved pending disciplinary action and has announced a zero-tolerance policy. An internal investigation is underway, and reinforced security checks are being implemented across the school transport network. The child's mother has expressed her intention to file a formal complaint.