Posted on 10/23/2007 2:31:25 PM PDT by uxbridge
The report of a Weare father attacking his daughter's boyfriend on school grounds after discovering the teenagers had sex earlier that day has evoked passion in readers.
The boy is 17 and the girl is 15.
Police say the attack happened Sept. 10 as John Stark High School in Henniker was letting out for the day and was witnessed many students.
The girl's father was charged with simple assault, a class B felony.
A Weare police detective was interviewing the 17-year-old from Henniker yesterday, said Deputy Chief Bill Quigley, but no charges have been filed against him.
Because the girl is not old enough to consent under state law, police are investigating the father's allegation as a sexual assault.
The story drew comments from Myrtle Beach, S.C., to Baghdad, Iraq.
Many people defended the irate father's actions, with one reader suggesting a defense fund be set up and several others saying they would contribute.
"If more parents acted like this father maybe we wouldn't have so many teen pregnancies," wrote Dorie Smith of New Boston. "It's refreshing to see a father stand up for his child and not just say, 'Oh, that's what teenagers do.'"
Others said the man should be prosecuted for violently taking the law into his own hands.
"I am also shocked at the number of people defending the father's actions," wrote Tina Thompson of Sutton. "The father's actions are vigilantism at its worst, and I hope the authorities throw the book at him."
Michelle Howard, of Henniker, said an adult should be expected to have more control over his fist than a teenager has over his hormones.
"As a mother of three boys," she wrote, "I will make sure they get every kiss and so on in writing, to protect us from some testosterone-raging father."
The boy, who police say was dating the girl, was bruised in the attack and required two stitches in his face.
Police said the father discovered the teens had sex during school hours but not on school property.
The New Hampshire Union Leader does not identify sexual assault victims. For that reason, the newspaper is not identifying the father.
Chris, of Nashua, said there's little danger of stigma being attached to anyone involved in the incident.
"The 15-year old girl is not a victim here," he said. "She is a teen engaging in sexual activity - just like 90 percent of her peers. Therefore the father does not deserve to have his name hidden from the public. Publish his name in the paper just like any other adult who is charged with assault."
Meg, of Derry, agreed, saying many teen girls are sexually active.
"People see the word 'rape' in statutory rape and think that the boy forced himself on her like a beast," she wrote. "Let me tell you, that is hardly the case in many instances. ... Assault is assault, Pops. Jail is where you go, and you learn YOUR lesson just like your daughter and her boyfriend learn theirs."
Sue, of Pembroke, said lessons could have been learned, but weren't.
"This would have been the perfect opportunity (for the man) to show his daughter how adults behave themselves when faced with a difficult situation," she wrote. "When she is an adult she will look back and realize the infantile manner in which her father behaved himself."
Tonya Ferrara, of Manchester, said vigilante justice - family style - might play a useful role in crime fighting.
"Maybe if this happened to sex offenders the first time they were caught we wouldn't have repeat offenders," she wrote.
Using violence to solve problems is the real threat to society, wrote Christina, of Henniker.
"Let the father of the boy beat up the father of the girl, and then the older brother beat up the older brother," she wrote. "Why stop there? Why not have his friends beat up her friends? It's views like this that start world wars."
Mark Emerson, of Lancaster, said the man's chief mistake was getting caught.
"Put in that same situation," he said, "I probably would have knocked his lights out also, just without all the witnesses."
Tom Linehan, of Salem, defended the father's actions without qualification.
"There ought to be a fund to help pay the legal fees for people like this father who not only defend their kids but also more broadly defend the rest of us from miscreants," wrote Linehan. "There is no defense for rape."
No I was not aware of that since it’s not in the story. I admit I don’t research every article posted here, perhaps I should but we’d have very little time for posts. Do you have a link to this critical piece of information? If true that the girl went home and said this prior to the incident blowing up then yes it would change my opinion. I realize I said ‘regardless’ but I would withdraw that. As it is I’ll wait and see pending further information. Assuming what you say is true this article is a travesty.
While you’re at it, tell them not to Eff around and they won’t have to worry about numerous ramifications. Idiot.
http://unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=One+angry+dad%3a+One+false+rape+claim&articleId=3c17e78f-c922-472d-84b0-a09ccf6e38ee
Now why doesn't that come out as a clickable link? You'll have to copy and paste until I get smarter.
With all the legalese and PC arguing about how young we should allow our children to engage in adult activity, we’ve lost the traditional notion that they are not adults until they are out on their own, with sufficiently good rearing from their families (completely undermined by our public schools) that they can make informed decisions of consent.
We need to completely restructure how we raise our children in order to offset any notion that sex at a young age is ok. The Leftists keep pushing their agenda of splitting the American family, in part by teaching boys that they are little more than evolved monkeys and can’t be expected to act in a civil, responsible manner, in part because the system continually gives a green light to young girls to abort (in secret in NH, now) to get rid of their ‘problems.’
Unbelievable.
Sex and the education system: Boys in one school, girls in another. Everybody in uniforms. Go back to a true junior high - 7,8,9. I’m plenty old fashioned. Raised kids and now grandkids because of family deaths. Neither generation allowed to date until age 17 and then must be to someone their own age whose parents I personally know at a place that is on our “approved” list with strict curfews. They also have tracking on their cell phones and video cams in their cars. Group/home parties where I know parents are home and I go by and check. They are mortified but too bad! When they are 18 they can live by their own rules if they move out or go to college. All straight A students and attend church regularly.
he’s just a kid, when he gets a few years on him he might understand.
It would have been more funny if the kid dropped him instead. Its less difficult than most people realize. Enraged attackers are easy targets and most adults or authority figures do not expect kids to put up a fight.
My reaction would be different, but only because I know my girls, and I know neither one of them would have the requisite mindset to consent at that age. That being said, my view as a Christian is that when a child is confirmed in the church at age 13 or 14, that child should now be an adult for all purposes in the church: all the rights and privileges, and all the responsibilities, of church membership. I think we confuse our kids when we tell them, “you’re now a full member of the church”, and then continue to treat them like children who aren’t capable of being mature. Why do we then expect them, at age 18, to magically become mature, if we haven’t taught them what that means? Same goes for non-church activities, I think.
“What if the 17 year old boy was your son?”
“I would hold him so the father of the girl could get some better licks in.”
This would be considered domestic violence and according to Lautenberg amendment, you would not be able to own a firearm.
Yep ....hand it been my daughter that guys picture would be on a milk carton !
And it sounds like you turned out great.
Shows what happens when someone has a good father.
He better be glad it's not my relative he dared to lay a hand on.
Then what--you'd commit assault, no matter how you cut it?
Milk Carton!!!
LOL! Oh Yeah!
My dad was the best.
It will be twenty five years, this year that he went on to his reward.
It was tough losing your Daddy so young, but I’ll always remember what he taught me and picked a man just like him.
A true gem, if I must say so myself.
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