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."
But when all is said and done in a case like this, I still think a 17 year old boy would have used more persuasion than a 15 year old girl. Having been 17 years old myself at one point, I know how that works.
If I was that 17 year old boy, my biggest fear would have been "If her Dad finds out I'm gonna be toast". I would have expected a beat down in his situation, and if I got it, I wouldn't have been standing there saying "WTF was that for???" I would have used deductive reasoning to figure it out pretty quickly.
And thats exactly how they should feel. It shouldn't be an idle threat.
Put me on that jury for that Father's assault trial and he would walk out of that court a free man.
Going back to your original comment about a Father "being too intensely involved in his teenage daughters sex life"...Well, if her Father isn't watching out for her, who is? Especially when she's 15 and under the age of consent!
I feel sorry for your daughters if have any now or ever have any in the future.
It must be nice knowing that as long as you do your job and instill values in your kids, they will never make a mistake or be swayed by something beyond your control. I take back what I said. You must be the best parent ever, and you have the greatest kids in the world. How lucky for you.
"Right, because what every girl needs is a violent father facing criminal charges for beating down her teenage boyfriend. That'll be a great childhood memory to grow up with and reminisce about in the years to come. Do your job with your own kids before running off to assault someone else's kids."
I'm not by nature a violent person, but there's a time and place for everything. But I guess you'd be just fine with that 17 year old boy having sex with your daughter. When you reminisce years later, all she'll remember is that you instilled all those values, but when she made a mistake you blamed her and didn't give that boy another thought.
Thanks, but I'll take my memory over yours.
We might just have to agree to disagree and call it a thread.
One thing I can agree with you about is instilling values in your kids. I'm as far from an "It takes a village" parent as you can get.
My argument was from the perspective of that not being ignored for 15 years, but the situation happenning anyway.
Why? Would you lose your temper and assault him?
It worked.
And, I was serious.
I still am.
And, they still know it.
90% ??.....
So, it’s ok for a guy to do your 15 year old daughter, eh? How liberated you are.
No weapons; just a weightlifter. Daughters swear every boy they ever brought home (or young man......even when they were older) was terrified of me. I like that.
Yeah, except required “extensive family/parenting education classes” are typically run by liberal social workers who have zero grasp of reality.
The kid is 17;old enough to be accepted in the Marines if mom and pop sign off. He’s old enough to defend himself. If not then he is not old enough to have sex.
And I haven’t disputed any of that. But the fact is, the father involved is a moron. He committed assault. That’s where this discussion begins and ends, IMO.
What do you mean? As long as you do your job, it won't even happen right? Does this "Any father whose daughter is off having sex at that age either hasn't done his job, or is OK with his daughter having sex at that age." ring a bell?
Don't you remember? You're the best parent ever, and you have the worlds greatest kids. But if I were you, I'd set your alarm for zero-reality:30, just in case.
“He better be glad it’s not my relative he dared to lay a hand on.”
1. Apparently if it were your 17 year old son that had sex with his 15 year old daughter, he would have kicked his butt.
2. Your reaction underscores this fathers point.
3. What would you do? Nothing, if you follow your own advice.
4. Don’t you think that boy has learned a valuable lesson?
5. Don’t you think that girl has learned a valuable lesson?
6. How come nobody is asking how come kids can leave school, have sex, return and the school doesn’t care?
I also live in a world called reality, which is where we differ.
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