Responsibility for the death of a child who drowned in the home of relatives

Question:
May Allah reward you. The questioner says: My son died by drowning, and he was less than two years old, in the home of my wife’s family. Does any responsibility fall on us, given that neither I nor his mother were present in the same house? She was occupied with her studies and preparing for exams, and I was at work. He was playing at his grandfather’s house before he went to the pool, while everyone was unaware.

Answer:
Responsibility lies with those who have custody of the children in the household. If they left the pool without a fence and without a barrier to prevent children from entering, then the responsibility lies with the owner of the house, because he did not take the precautions that would prevent children from accessing it. As for the one who was absent, he bears no responsibility. Yes.