Parents seek answers over son's death (Parents sent son to jail and was killed, New Zealand)

One News ^ | 8/26/06 | One News

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Maybe it's a bad idea to use the criminal justice system as a babysitter.

Just a thought.

[NinoFan]

He took his PARENT'S car without permission. For pete's sake, what teenager hasn't done that once or twice? Does that make it right? No, but you don't send your child to prison over something like that. You ground them, tell them they can't go to the prom, etc. In other words, you deal with it yourself and don't use the "nanny state" by sending them to jail on our tax dollars.

[conservativehusker]

While I think this is horrendous I support the parents .. my father always told me do not think about calling him from Jail - He would not bail me out...I had to take responsibility for my actions...

That said, did this kid get any additional punishment handed to him by the courts than if a strangers kids stole their car? (Other than that horrible beating and death thingy) Would we be as upset if it was just a "Punk" that died??

I would hold the police and transport company completely responsible. They should have systems in place to "protect" young criminals.

[conservativehusker]

I also forgot to mention that no parent I know would do something like this over a misunderstanding..I'm certain this wasn't an Isolated incident and this kid was a hardcore screwup to begin with..

[NinoFan]

So what if the kid was a screw-up? It stills seems ridiculous to send your child to jail over using the car without permission. It seems quite liberal to me to rely on the government to punish your child by sending them to prison.

[PetroniusMaximus]

"..How nanny state of you..." ... "...Why play this progressive socialist blame-the-parent-it's not-his-fault game..." ... "...Please sober up before Freeping..."


Apparently I was wrong to expect something more like a coherent argument and less like ignorant name calling from fellow Freepers on this thread...


If your 14 year old steals money from your wallet, are you going to throw him in a pond with alligators to "teach him a lesson"???

In this day and age it is idiotic to send a young kid to jail for an offense as trivial as borrowing the car without asking. The parents can now enjoy the silent years of the fruit of their regretful stupidity.

[PetroniusMaximus]

"In other words, you deal with it yourself and don't use the "nanny state" by sending them to jail on our tax dollars."


Exactly!

Pot, meet kettle. (MrEdd)

[pgyanke]

Apparently I was wrong to expect something more like a coherent argument and less like ignorant name calling from fellow Freepers on this thread...

That's an awefully broad brush you're painting with there...

[PetroniusMaximus]

"That's an awefully broad brush you're painting with there.."

I quoted the people I was refering to.

[beltfed308]

That was totally uncalled for. No reason to bring a flame war to this thread.

[jocon307]

"Jail is not a joke and it is not a game and it is not a place to send kids to "teach them a lesson".

Agreed, agreed, agreed.

[Durus]

Jail is a no-man's land because there are a lot of people, including here on FR, that enjoy the concept of a state run rape/assault camp because it's worse for (some of) the criminals.

[Vicomte13]

I know.
And that is not just morally wrong; it's bad policy.

If I know that being sent to jail is a rape/death/slavery/maiming sentence, then the normal things that any human being is entitled to do to escape rape/death/slavery and maiming (i.e: to KILL the person trying to rape, kill, enslave or maim him) becomes morally justifiable.

That's a fatal flaw with having a prison system based on torture perpetrated by other prisoners. If the guards don't stop it, those tortures are really being perpetrated by the state itself, as a result of its (intentional) policy choices.

[ga medic]

I think yours is the worst post I have ever read on FR. Your comments are disgusting.

[Continental Soldier]

I agree. The parents should have known better than to trust their son to the police or to the legal system. As I get older, more and more do I distrust the motives of law enforcement. When I was a kid, I believed the police to be honest and true and to be trusted completely. As I've grown older, I've seen so much that contradicts that childhood faith that I can never again give them the benefit of the doubt.

[LM_Guy]

Please sober up before Freeping. We try not to sound like DU here.

I think you need to get off you High Horse and show a little compassion once and awhile.
I agree with all the posters (quite a few) that say the kid did not deserve what happened - he just took his parent's car whith out permission - GEEZZZZ how cold can you get !!!!!

[auntyfemenist]

"If we cannot control our prisons to the point that people are being routinely raped, murdered and crippled in there, then we had better stop sending people we're mad at for nonviolent crimes (like drug sales) to prisons, and put more cops there until we've controlled the place."

Duh. I see you have no experience with the penal system. Controlling them is not the point. There are even special prisons for prisoners who kill other prisoners. I guess you can't grasp the full meaning of imprisonment till you have seen it up close. The justice system is not a babysitter to get your kid under control.

Taking mom's car on a joy ride = death penalty. Sound reasonable to you?

[Balding_Eagle]

It is his parents fault that he is dead.

His parents made a wrong decision, no doubt, but they aren't the main reason for his death.

He was put in with a caged animal by Law Enforcement. They are the guys closest to the murder who could have prevented, or at least stopped it.

The animal who killed him should be executed (What society that considers itself civilized would allow him to remain alive?), and the LE responsible for placing the kid in that lfe threatening situation should be prosecuted for negligent homocide.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Your analogy would be almost as silly as if parents threw their kid into a zoo cage with a lion. When the lion eats the kid you'd be able to chime in and point out that the lion actually ate the kid, not the parents. I think the point you are missing is that there are certain realities to face in the world. Sending a 17 year old to jail can be a risky proposition. I'm sure in your perfect world in a vacuum this doesn't make much sense.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

But you forget...it would be the alligator's fault, not the parents.