Court stops girl, 13, sailing round world!
This bings to mind the question, How much should the state interfere with the rights of the parents ???
A Dutch court has placed Laura Dekker, 13, under state care, stopping her from attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.
Laura Dekker, who was reported to be out sailing on Friday while her parents awaited the ruling from a court in Utrecht, was placed under the supervision of child protection officers for two months, while psychologists assess her capacity to undertake the risky voyage.
The world record-breaking journey, which had her parents' approval, would have taken Laura out of the classroom next week and through some of the world's most dangerous waters for the next two years.
The judges said it was "irresponsible for such a young girl to make a two-year solo trip around the world" and that they had "grave doubts that Miss Dekker would be able to handle extreme circumstances".
The family's lawyer, Peter de Lange, said Laura's friends had told her about the court's decision and "she accepted it very positively".
"It's an exceptional case," he added. "The crucial question is whether it is wrong for parents to allow their child to indulge in her passion."
Social workers argued that Miss Dekker was too young to be aware of the dangers of a solo journey and psychologists suggested that two years of isolation on the high seas would damage the young girl's development.
Source: The Telegraph
i could do it in less than a week(but not by sailing)
a plane from doha to houston
houston to japan
japan to doha
and he thought he did it in 81!
Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. 14% of people know that.
2 freaking years to go around the world? Typical woman, i remember a man doing it in 80 day :P
Good Fortune always comes knocking at your door...when you are sh*tting in the toilet!! :)
_[]~SMoKE~[]_
she's 13 and emotionaly unfit for the 2 years journey.
it's governement related, because if any trouble happen in the frozen waters of antarctica, or seized by pirates, it's the foreign departement who is to solve the problem!
Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. 14% of people know that.
it feels so unfair but it isn't
I detest government interference in the private lives of citizens. In this case, I believe that the authorities are right to intercede an cary out tests.
An exception to the rule..
Education MUST come first
My opinion is that the State can interfere on the rights or decision of the parents towards their child if the decision made would affect safety of the life of the child. The action to be taken by Laura Dekker i.e. solo sailing in two years is quite dangerous and very risky for her own life, plus the fact that she is still under the "legal age".
The endeavor itself to go solo sailing for people under "legal age" should be studied by the State. If this undertaking are beneficial or not. And if this will just put harm to people, then the undertaking should be the first thing that the State should be looking at.