"we made a mistake"-gee ya think?

[BlaqueKatt]

story here

"A 12-YEAR-OLD girl who was allowed to live with her 15-year-old boyfriend despite her father's pleas to DOCS is set to become one of the state's youngest mothers.

The girl had shared a bed with the father of the unborn child from the age of 11 after her mother allowed him to move into their home.

But although her father, who is separated from the mother, repeatedly pleaded with staff at the Department of Community Services helpline they did nothing about the situation.

Police said they were also unable to intervene because both children were under the age of consent. If the boy was 18 police would have immediately begun a criminal investigation."



Wow so nothing gets done for a year then when the mother goes into a mental institution and the girl is pregnant-now they're willing to help her-with parenting classes-I realize the system is overburdened but really there was nothing they could do? I have a very difficult time believing that. Even just giving her birth control pills would've been a good thing, well better than this at least.

[Flyndaran]

I can't find mention of where this happened. The mention of Parliament makes me thing England, but I can 't be sure.

Either way, here in the U.S. someone over 13 having sex with one under 13 is a felony in most states far greater than run of the mill sexual misconduct.

[Greenday]

Overextended resources? How much resources does it take to send one police officer to tell the boyfriend to get out?

[Flyndaran]

Overextended resources? How much resources does it take to send one police officer to tell the boyfriend to get out?

I don't think it's legal to throw children onto the streets.
But he should have been put in foster care at the very least if not jailed.

[Nyoibo]

Better is that the child is back living with her mother.

[Slytovhand]

I'm sorry to say, this was in Australia - New South Wales, as it turns out...

What I want to know is why it's required for the 12 year old girl to have to make a complaint to the police, and that the father (who, obviously, is of legal age) doesn't have that right on her behalf. Sure, it might be a bit more annoying from the police point of view, but surely it's a parents responsibility - and right?

[BroomJockey]

I would say, the problem with the father making the complaint is that it's perceived as "bitter breakup syndrome." The father's not living there, obviously he harbours feelings of resentment and nothing he says can be trusted without corroboration.

[kibbles]

I don't think it's legal to throw children onto the streets.
But he should have been put in foster care at the very least if not jailed.

Jailed?? Why should the boyfriend be jailed. They were both underage and if it was anyone's fault, it was the mothers.

[Nyoibo]

Which is one of the reasons that the girl needs to make a complaint, they said if he'd been overage they could have prosecuted, but because he's underage, there has to be a complaint.

[kibbles]

The girl needs to make a complaint?? Ummmm...if they were both underage and it was consensual..why should the girl get to make a complaint?

[AdminAssistant]

Call me old-fashioned, but....

What in the good holy hades is a 12 year old girl doing having sex in the first place? Geeez. When I was that age I was still playing with Barbies.

I'm not blaming the girl, not at all, but the parents and even the 15 year old should know better.

[BroomJockey]

Ummmm...if they were both underage and it was consensual..why should the girl get to make a complaint?

That would be the point. That's the position the police are basically taking. They were both underage, and it was (likely) consensual. If it wasn't, then they'd need her to complain.

[kibbles]

I just think it's silly and incredibly old fashioned for the media and the majority to take the position of the girl is of course the "poor wittle victim" Both of these kids (which they both are) were victims of lack of parenting from the mother.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Be that as it may, it's the general public of Australia who are going to be paying for this girl's baby, so they have a right to be annoyed.

By the way, how far are you willing to go with your viewpoint? What if the child was ten years old and pregnant by their fifteen year old boyf? Still underage and consensual; and yeah, kids that age can get pregnant. I'd be a bit worried about a boy that age who had a girlf of twelve; if they were twenty and twenty five it wouldn't matter, but it does at that age.

[kibbles]

I just find it tedious that the girl is always assumed to be the poor put upon victim when in reality both of these children are victims. And I still wouldn't be worried about the boy or the girl; but, the judgement of the adults that allowed them to get into this situation in the first place.