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."
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.
Ok, I’ll admit it. I had sex in HS. Not a whole lot, but yeah, it happened a few times with a bf. And it was consensual every time. And yup, I skipped school a few times, again, not a lot but it happened a few times in the 4 years. I was Honor Roll, Who’s Who Among American HS Students, editor for the school paper, soloist soprano in chorus, taught Sunday School, in high demand as a babysitter. Never in any trouble, teachers liked me (and I, them) decent crowd of friends.
Nothing that I did was a lack of upbringing on my parent’s part. They were excellent parents, in fact my father was more than overprotective- I had a curfew the night before I got married, all the time H and I were engaged. Wasn’t allowed to spend the night at then-fiance’s place. They taught me right from wrong, I knew that some of the things (namely sex) weren’t approved of. Stable, 2 parent home, good upbringing, dinner together every night, lots of family time and traveling together.
They were GOOD parents. Nothing I chose to do was their fault or anything they did wrong.
And there it is; the jewel upon which this discussion turns—Manhood.
When I was a teenager any guy getting his ass kicked by an irate dad took it as coming with the territory. No cops were called no parents were informed. Hell, I’da’ been PROUD to tell everyone the source of my bruises!”Cindy’s ol’man found out I been boffing her blind. Should’a seen it man—dude freaked! I’m shucking and jiving and running for my life...””!
Part of learning to become a Man was to take your medicine when you had earned it. At no time did we believe it was OK to be screwing ‘Cindy’, THAT (as well as the fact that it FELT good) was why we did it! There is assault and then there is asskicking. They are not interchangeable. Guys my age got their ass kicked by cops, irate dads, teachers, some chicks brother or boyfriend etc... .The only beatings we resented and lashed out against were the ones that we felt we DID NOT have coming.
The feminization of our society continues.
(Nothing in the above paragraphs is meant to be viewed as an endorsement of any underage person boffing any one else, blind or otherwise.)
No. I’d use the rule of law to bring him to justice.
That was another detail that came out over time that only supported my original position. I’m sorry if you haven’t been following it. Maybe you should go find another thread to be uninformed on.
If that’s what it means to be a “Libertarian”, then I’m some glad I aren’t one. “This kid didn’t deserve any of this...” You people are more than nutcases. You’re sick.
I’m sick? You’re essentially advocating a father beating up a kid for (GASP) consensual sex with his daughter.
You are still having trouble with your reading skills. It is called Statutory Rape.
And you’re saying “the kid didn’t deserve any of this”. That is sick and you’re no conservative.
The attack of secularism on religion has helped create not only a divide, but a contradiction between what the state and what large members of society say on the one hand, and what religious families and traditional values say on the other.
Clinton’s Surgeon General thought kindergartner children should learn how to use condoms for crying out loud.
I’m all for preparing children for adulthood. But what we need is a targeted age and to have everyone defend innocent childhood as much as possible until that age. As it is, there is nothing but confusion.
I take an age closer to 18. 13 or 14 used to be fine a hundred years ago and before when we more of an agrarian society and when high infant mortality rates forced couples to have 8-10 children on the hopes that 4 would survive. But with contemporary society, where both boys and girls have enormous amounts of knowledge to obtain to prepare them for success and where modern medicine reduces the number of child-bearing years, I think we need to protect and prepare our children for more years. I think the fact that, thanks to the anti-establishment scum from the counter-culture movement, there are many predators out there in all aspects of life, and this furthers the need of protecting and preparing our children (both boys and girls) as much as possible.
Back in the old days, if a young man seduced a teenage girl and was caught, he was either beaten up by father (as he was in this case) or forced to marry the girl. And there were fewer teen pregnancies and fewer children born out of wedlock.
Seems that our current system of letting teens do whatever they want isn’t working.
You’re my hero.
I am sure they were good parents and you have obviously turned out to be a fine upstanding conservative citizen. I am the parent of 5 teenagers. 3 boys and 2 girls. (2 are my sisters children that my wife and I have raised since they were toddlers). I understand the challenges of raising them today. I also remember my high school days, and yes, I had sex in high school too. (not as much as I wanted, but more than most would assume was available)
The difference between today, and my high school days (graduated 1982) is that girls are much more aggressive and knowledgeable. My kids go to a Catholic High School, so their peer group is more selective than some public schools. Even so, it seems to be the girls that are taking the lead. I don’t know this particular situation, but those that assume that the boy seduced the girl, may not understand that today’s girls are much more worldly than they were 25 years ago.
I don’t think sex in high school is a great thing. Fortunately, my children haven’t gone there yet. I have a long way to go, so I can’t brag about success yet. I don’t think it is as horrible as some here seem to, and I definately don’t think that a 17 year old boy’s life should be ruined for having sex with a girl who is a sophomore in high school.
The laws are designed to keep older men from taking advantage of young girls. If this boy was 23, then absolutely, he should be charged. If two students in the same high school are having a consensual relationship, they are peers, I don’t see criminal charges being warranted.
Thanks for your very reasonable comments.
High school girls these days probably know more about sex than I do. an example: A friend who has a 16 year old son had a party for him. He invited boys and girls and several adults to help chaperone. Nothing happened at this party because there was so much supervsion, but he found out later that 2 of the freshman girls lost a bet, and agreed to perform a sex act with each other, in public at the next party. These a girls from good Catholic families, who have attended Catholic schools their entire lives. They have been taught right from wrong, but apparently aren’t listening.
25 years ago, this wasn’t something that 15 year old girls were aware of, let alone would suggest doing. Things have changed, and parents of teenagers have their work cut out for them.
If my kid reported it, there would be no college (paid by me) and the kid would hit the door at 18.
And I guess my wife would have to own them.
Like I said ‘death of Manhood’. Kid’s a pussy.He can’t stand up and take his medicine. A father has an innate right to guard or defend his daughter (irrespective of her complicity in the offense). Anyone who puts the state between the father’s position and his daughter in a situation such as this is a pussy statist. Of course I don’t know one guy who at 17 dated a 15 year old since THAT was considered pretty pussy. But don’t worry though, people with your view predominate in our society today so you’re “right”. You’ll stop the scourge of guys standing up and kicking ass when it is necessary, as well as the pain 17 yr olds feel when they are debarred by custom from dating underage and more easily manipulated girls.
In all the above comments, women are bashing the father for protecting his daughter. Disgusting.
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