Should parents be sued for kids' crimes?

[carerra g tea]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2...

Basically:
Child less than 10 years old breaks into a zoo in Australia, kills several animals and feeds them to crocodile. Also hurls several animals while they are alive to the crocodile. Children under ten cannot be prosecuted in NWT. Zoo director plans to sue parents.

Good idea?

As well as posting your thoughts here, please make your choice on the survey below...
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=CEmxxWYTihVj...

Edited by carerra g tea on Friday 3rd October 17:44

[anonymous-user]

[scorp]

No. When the state sees to it that parents (and teachers) have little power to discipline their children, I don't see why they should then be held responsible for the effects. Can't really comment on this specific case as I don't know anything about Aus.

[yesplease]

You can't say that 7 year old was supervised properly in any way at all because he'd have not managed to do that if he was. So yes, the parents should cough up for leaving him unattended.

[welshbikerduck]

scorp said:

No. When the state sees to it that parents (and teachers) have little power to discipline their children, I don't see why they should then be held responsible for the effects. Can't really comment on this specific case as I don't know anything about Aus.

Agreed, a little like cutting the brakes of a car going downhill then waiting at the bottom with a speed camera and doing you for speeding.

[andy400]

Yes.

[Parrot of Doom]

No, but parents should be punished if they don't make good attempts to put a stop to said behaviour.

[tomTVR]

I think we need to introduce capital punishment into schools.

[jeff m]

Yes, but it could cause some to divorce their children.

[anonymous-user]

okaay, now i can see both sides of this argument, but havin been on the receiving end of lots of abuse from one kids parents, just cos i got plod involved(the little bd had just kicked my fence in, then told me to fk off when i challenged him about it, and he's 10), and then been threatened, i tend to think they deserve to be sued for what their kids do! however i realise, not all parents have control of their little cherubs!

[thehawk]

I think it depends, many good parents have children that do something bad, I'm sure nearly all of us engaged in some sort of activity at least once in our lives that could have potentially gotten us in to trouble, regardless of how good our parents are. But then you have the obvious bad parents who do deserve to be sued.

[elster]

Workhouse anyone?

[anonymous-user]

Fair point, i did stuff as a kid that would have got me a major hiding if the old uns found out!

[LotusACBC]

homicide said:

okaay, now i can see both sides of this argument, but havin been on the receiving end of lots of abuse from one kids parents, just cos i got plod involved(the little bd had just kicked my fence in, then told me to fk off when i challenged him about it, and he's 10), and then been threatened, i tend to think they deserve to be sued for what their kids do! however i realise, not all parents have control of their little cherubs!

hahahahah a ten year old told you to "F" off! Oh man, thats horrible, what sort of kid is he? He should be beaten until the first second AND third layer of his ass skin has been chaffed off.

I HAVE AN IDEA TO END ALL THESE SNOTTY KIDS

GOVERNMENT
ISSUED
BEATINGS

Thats right! The day a boy turns 13, a pair of Government officials pull up to the house and use HIM as a pinyatta (spelling? piniata?).

Governemnt issued ass whoopings.... do you think it may cause some resentment towards the government?

Cant you just see it now! HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY TIMMY! the Gov's will be any minute now to give you your well deserved dose of reality you devil child.

[rsv gone!]

The problem with kids is that they're stupid. They don't know anything. You have to tell them everything!

[anonymous-user]

What sort of kid is he? A short, nasty little piece of st, who knows that because his mums boyfriend is over 6'5", and has lots of meathead mates, and im 5'6" with no friends, that he can get away with pretty much anything(settin fire to someones shed), as mummys fella will come along and threaten a major ass whupping if u say owt! Bds!

[scorp]

homicide said:

What sort of kid is he? A short, nasty little piece of st, who knows that because his mums boyfriend is over 6'5", and has lots of meathead mates, and im 5'6" with no friends, that he can get away with pretty much anything(settin fire to someones shed), as mummys fella will come along and threaten a major ass whupping if u say owt! Bds!

[tomTVR]

rsv gone! said:

The problem with kids is that they're stupid. They don't know anything. You have to tell them everything!

Thats the point. They do something they shouldnt for the first time, get a thrashing then they never do it again. Thats the way i was brought up and i learnt the difference between right and wrong. Problem is its easy to ban physical punishment but in todays soft 'children can't do wrong' society i think it will be harden to bring back disipline.

[Shaolin]

scorp said:

No. When the state sees to it that parents (and teachers) have little power to discipline their children, I don't see why they should then be held responsible for the effects. Can't really comment on this specific case as I don't know anything about Aus.

Eh? I'm a parent of two boys, they are and always have been well behaved and never involved in any kind of yobbery. The other half and I have been totally empowered to discipline them from birth as is every parent. The difference is that some parents just can't be bothered to do it when they're little or aren't consistent enough, so they start run wild and then the feckless parents stand there scratching their arses saying "dunno? - we can't do anything with 'im".

There seems to be some implict criticism in the quoted post that the state has outlawed physical punishment - it really isn't necessary as long as appropriate, correct and consistant discipline is there right from the outset.

Being a good parent really isn't that hard, most people could do it well. It is however relentless, often unrewarding (the rewards come at times well removed from the work) and very tiring - leading some parents to not bother very much. Teaching right from wrong is a pretty basic lesson and a 7 year old should know what this means and should know not to do wrong.

Should the parents be sued - definitely, it is ultimately their fault in this case.

[MitchT]

Definitely. If kids are too young to know the difference between right and wrong then they're too young to be out unsupervised. I hereby claim the £5k (approximately) that individuals 'below the age of criminal responsibility' have cost me thus far.