According the attorney for the kid, strong action was needed because of the "rite of passage" nature of this particular trip. Here's a quote from Lucie Fortin, the insubordinate brat's lawyer:
"...for me that was really important, because it was the end of elementary school, it was the end of a stage in her life."
Sadly for the kid, it might be the start of another stage in her life, a stage of life where she can post inappropriate pictures on the computer for any creepy pervert on the prowl who happens by, a stage of self-destutructive freedom where the indulgence of a lax mother with issues is apparently backed up by lunacy from the courts.
Link to story with more on the angle of the girl:
Girl fighting for rite of passage, lawyer says
"It's a very different situation than a child who might appear to not be happy with the parent's decision and simply say, 'I'm going to go to court and I'm going to get what I want,' " she said. "And if in fact it's been portrayed that way, it's not putting it in its complex context." While the girl's father has full legal custody, pending a further court decision, the girl has been living with her mother, Ms. Fortin said.There is no complex context. The father had custody, and the judge should have sent the girl back to the father. Case closed. Instead, the mother now has a little girl who expects the courts to side with her any time she wants to behave in a manner that responsible adults consider inappropriate for her age. I hope she still thinks getting back at the father was worth it when she's the target of this little girl's next court case.
I've never liked anything about this book, despite the people who consider it a classic, but mother and daughter need to read it together. It wouldn't surprise me if it foreshadows their future issues.