Laura Dekker, a 13-year-old from the Netherlands, wants to be the youngest person to sail solo around the world, and after a few long discussions, her parents finally gave her the OK. The only problem is the country’s government, namely the Dutch Council for Child Protection, is concerned about the well-being of the child and has asked a court to grant it temporary custody in an attempt to block her quest.
According to the story, judges at Utrecht District Court are to announce Friday whether they will deny Laura's plans. She would become the youngest person to sail solo around the world, breaking the record of Zac Sunderland, 17, who accomplished the feat last month.
In the meantime, the legal battle has sparked a debate about the role parents should play in dealing with their children's risky adventures.
I have no problem with kids seeking adventure, but as a parent, you have to draw a line somewhere. Her father, a highly trained sailor, and mother — who are divorced — both tried to discourage the teen before she won them over, which makes me wonder who's really making the decisions.
Laura's skills as a sailor, according to the story, are not in question; the concerns are the dangers that come with a 28,000-mile circumnavigation of the globe are the concerns. The trip means Laura would have to drop out of high school and teach herself while at sea or in port. Dutch authorities have to give permission for such a plan, but say such home schooling must be supervised by an adult.
The Guinness Book of World Records would not comment specifically on Laura’s case but said it stayed away from many such records. "(We have) a standard policy that does not sanction, endorse or encourage attempts by minors (people under the age of 16) on records which are dangerous or potentially life-threatening," Guinness spokesman Damian Field said.
Other attempts at being the youngest to accomplish a feat has ended in tragedy. In 1996, 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff died along with her father and a flight instructor when her plane crashed in Cheyenne, Wyoming, as she attempted to become the youngest person to fly coast-to-coast in the United States.
The National Transportation Safety Board concluded the crash occurred because the girl’s flight instructor took off in bad weather in a bid to keep up with "media commitments" about the record-breaking flight.
While I disapprove of the government intervening with this case, I’m not in favor of Dekker making this trip. Where does it end? Soon kids will be battling it out to see who’s the youngest person to do a solo skydive or bungee jump. The last thing I want to see is a 3-year-old performing a high-wire act.
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2 comments:
You're in favor af a 13 year old girl going on this trip alone? As a former sailor myself-- both sailboats and the Navy-- I'd keep my young children away from port towns for a variety of reasons.
Of course, knowing where to score good coke in Singapore might be a learning experience for the young lady, as might being sold into slavery.
Well, if that's the case, I sure hope Singapore is not on the itinerary.
I just find the entire case nuts, and again, it's a bad reflection on parents, most of whom have this insatiable desire to live through their children. Like the whackos who dress their kids up and enter them in beauty pageants.
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