• pigduck
• Sep 23,2007
• In: Nation Madness

Charge Negligent Parents?

So in my last post about being sensitive to victims and families, the press and our country caretakers have devised a way to “solve the problem”. In my last post, I had stressed that our sense of community was lost and how nurturing of good traits should start at home.

It is true that over the past week, outrage, disgust, horror, sadness, pity, sympathy, grief and ___________ (insert what you like) was in our minds as as country. No doubt about it. I couldn’t even think straight but then again, I do get highly emotional about such things.

We have been informed that there is a Child Act 2001 that says parents can be charged for negligence. Why is it only brought up now? Only because watchful and critical eyes are on the government and police to take action?

The distraught parents having had wave after wave of bad news over the past week, should they be served such a warrant?

And the question is - are they the only negligent parents out there?

The proof of their love for their missing child over the past month is more than I can say for some parents. ‘Cos there are worse parents out there. They went on a national campaign to find their little girl… actually, our country should look at the Amber Alert. Of course not all of us have the resources to hold national campaigns but I am saying that we shouldn’t point our crooked fingers at them so easily.

A lot of parents will be held under this act then. We should not have double standards. Parents of children who run away from home will be charged, parents whose children go to clubs below their permittable age will be charged, parents with children who drink alcohol and take drugs below the age limit will be charged, parents whose children go out at night and then get date raped (those who go out to be picked up by men on bikes… I think you know there are a lot of such cases… actually, why aren’t the kids/gangs found and charged?!) will be charged… parents who overfeed their child will be charged, parents who allow their children to play computer games all day will be charged, parents who commit adultery and then leave their family will be charged, parents who leave their children in the hands of their maids will be charged and the list goes on…that is a lot of parents.

The point is - our jails are already at full capacity with all the other strange crimes we keep criminals there for…. (loss of IC, etc etc.). Is it necessary to charge the parents with jail time? Wouldn’t rehabilitation and counselling be better? Wouldn’t teaching be better?

Not only do children go missing, adults too - what do we make of that then? Not only are children raped and murdered in this society… women are too… who is looking out for the women folk then?

Some opinions and news on this issue…

- Should parents be charged?

- Child Neglect and Common Sense

- Put the blame on parents?

- Police say Nurin’s parents can be charged for carelessness…

- Passing The Buck……

- After Nurin - A politician’s promise and a cop’s threat