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Dutch bid to thwart young sailor (13 years old)
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by Babel-Fish | August 24, 2009 at 06:27 pm
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Social workers in the Netherlands have taken legal action to try to stop a 13-year-old girl from sailing around the world on her own.
They want Laura Dekker to be made a ward of court, so that her parents, who support her plans, temporarily lose the right to make decisions about her.
Laura's father, Dick Dekker, has had a request for her to miss two years of school turned down.
Laura had a yacht by the age of six and began sailing solo when she was 10.
"Since I was 10 years old, I've known that I would like to sail around the world," she told Dutch television.
What are her parents thinking of, she has got to be very spoilt and her parents have got to be stupid. Is this about making money out of the fame and exploiting a child?
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (3)
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tom juren (not verified)at 10:00 on August 25th, 2009
Despite it is too dangerous for so young girl it is no reasonable to interupt everyday live during teenages when personality, sexuality, education is in the phase of establishing. I would be wery sad if my parents alowed me to do this adventure, I might think that they dont love me.
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Timothy Seward (not verified)at 03:57 on August 26th, 2009
Her parents need their head examined.
at 01:58 on August 29th, 2009
Why do you presume she is very spoilt? Do you know that for a fact?
Here in Holland its a big case and both Laura and her father make a sane and sound impression. She was born on a sailboat, grew up sailing; has already sailed across the Channel on her own. Her trip will be well supervised, etc. I personally am probably a minority who feels we should accept their own judgement and not interfere with other peoples lives and dreams. The Dutch Child Protection Agency wants to ground her, test her and have placed her parents under supervision i.e. the Agency decides, not they. They claim they want to protect Laura from psychological harm, but by doing so and in this manner they are causing tremendous harm to her and her development. I say being in bureaucratic government care is more damaging to Laura than her continuing a life she already lived and loves.