Pick of the parents

[Gob]

An Irish teenage boy was ordered to make the heart-breaking decision to send either his mother or his father to jail for failing to ensure he attended school.

Judge Alan Mitchell told the youth he must choose who will be jailed for 21 days and who will receive a suspended sentence during a case brought against the boy's parents at Galway District Court.

The 15-year-old from Galway is a repeat truant and continued bunking off even after he was made aware of the possible legal consequences for his parents.

Judge Mitchell said: 'He can consider which of his parents he wants to go to prison for 21 days and which gets the suspended sentence.'

He added that if needs be the teenager should attend Galway District Court today to make the decision, reports the Irish Independent.

'If every teenage child could direct whether to go to school or not there would be anarchy in this country,' he added, before describing the current situation as 'totally unacceptable'.

Paul McCavera, Galway city education welfare officer, told the court that the teenager had missed 91 days of school out of 114 this school year so far.

Mr McCavera said there had been a 'long history of engagement with the family' but contact had since ceased.

Mr McCavera added that a range of support services had been offered to the family both inside and outside of the school, but they had failed to take advantage.

Both parents had previously been summonsed to court but the father had failed to attend and a bench warrant was issued for him.

He rejected an assertion from the family's solictor Alma Whelan, that the family had done everything they could to persuade him to go to lessons.

The court also heard that the boy in question was 'a very pleasant child' who had no discipline problems while in school.

'He does not have any special education needs and there are no discipline issues in the school. He is not disruptive, as a child he is very pleasant,' added Mr McCavera.

[MajGenl.Meade]

I think he's bound to Pick off the Pop

[Guinevere]

Here's where Meade's "shame shame" belongs: the Judge is abdicating his duty by putting it back on the kids. It is his job, he should decide.

(And btw, why not let the parents split the sentence, I mean really, it's not that complicated)

[MajGenl.Meade]

Both parents had previously been summonsed to court but the father had failed to attend and a bench warrant was issued for him.

a. the acorn falls not far from the tree I'd say; no big guess as to which one the kid takes after

2. pater's already got a warrant out; choose him, kid. Choose him

Logic = whichever one the poor kid chooses, dad's going to beat the crap out of him. But if he sends mum, then dad's going to do the cooking, cleaning and laundry and also beat the crap out of him. Bad idea. Keep mum - at least defer the beating by 21 days.

[Jarlaxle]

The judge should be removed from the bench, disbarred, and shot for emotional abuse of a child.

What will he do if the kid simply REFUSES to choose...or says, "Lock them both up"?

[Scooter]

The judge was very creative in finding a way of making the boy take some responsibility for his own actions, and helping him understand that his actions have consequences for others, something of which most teenagers are blissfully unaware. The kid could have easily seen this prosecution as something between his parents and the state, in which he played no part. Instead the judge forced him to take at least some of the responsiblity for his own actions back onto himself, and to see that his parents' punishment was a direct consequence of his own actions. I don't think that simply lecturing the kid, during which he would completely zone out anyway) would have had anywhere near as much impact. I don't believe, as has been implied, that this was done becausethe judge was unusre about how to apportion blame between the parens.

What will he do if the kid simply REFUSES to choose...or says, "Lock them both up"?

I very strongly suspect the judge athe was prepared to impose a 21 dau sentence on both parents, and then saw an opportuntity to teach the leid a good lesson.

[rubato]

I like scooter's answer.

yrs,
rubato

[Guinevere]

I've no problem with requiring him to take some responsibility for his actions, or with teaching him a lesson, but forcing a child to chose between parents crosses the line.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Since the kid doesn't go to school anyway, he should choose himself to go to prison for the 21 days.
Might as well get used to his future.

[Jarlaxle]

I've no problem with requiring him to take some responsibility for his actions, or with teaching him a lesson, but forcing a child to chose between parents crosses the line.

Spot on. The judge is either a wishy-washy twerp or a sadistic nut. Either way, he should be disbarred.

[liberty]

It all depends on the age and size of the kid. Once they reach a certain age and grow big enough there is often little that parents can do. Of course sometimes a failure to instill respect for the parents when the child was younger and more impressionable can come back to haunt the parents in the future. But on the other hand there are liberal jurisdictions that will put the parents in jail if they should use any kind of force to instill discipline in arrant child. And there are times when the parents can do everything right and nothing works; every child is an individual and there are not guarantees. Perhaps the kid should bear direct responsibility for his own actions.

[oldr_n_wsr]

The kid is 15yo so I agree with,

Perhaps the kid should bear direct responsibility for his own actions.

MAybe not choosing which parent goes to jail, but some kind of other reprimand.