13 year old girl wants to sail around the world court decision stalls.
#1
Posted 28 August 2009 - 03:57 PM
A Dutch court has put a 13-year-old girl under state care for two months, stalling her bid to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.
The decision by three Utrecht judges means Laura Dekker's parents, who support her plans, temporarily lose the right to make decisions about her.
A child psychologist will now assess her capacity to undertake the voyage.
Miss Dekker says she is happy with the ruling, but she will try to convince the authorities to let her set sail.
"I haven't had the same upbringing as so many other children," she told the Dutch television programme, NOS Jeugdjournaal, in her only comments after the ruling.
"Sailing has always played an important role in my upbringing and that's why I want to do this now," she added.
Back to school
The seasoned sailor, who lives with her father Dick Dekker, said she would return to classes when school reopens on Monday after the summer break.
"My classmates may be surprised to see me back at school, but I'm confident that I will set sail one day. I know I can do it," she told the Jeugdjournaal programme.
Mr Dekker had earlier had a request for her to miss two years of school turned down.
Miss Dekker had planned to spend about two years aboard her 26ft (8m) boat, Guppy, to break the record set this week by a 17-year-old UK boy.
Mike Perham tackled 50ft waves, gale force winds and technical problems during the 28,000 mile (45,000km) circumnavigation, which took him nine months.
Addressing concerns that she would be alone for long periods on her round-the-world trip, she told Jeugdjournaal: "I will always be surrounded by other people who are on a journey like mine. I really think I will meet these people and make friends easily."
'Live freely'
The Dutch Child Protection Agency had requested Miss Dekker be made a ward of court because, it said, it was "irresponsible for such a young girl to make a two-year solo trip around the world".
The judges agreed, ruling Miss Dekker would face mental and physical risks if she were allowed to go ahead with her planned record attempt.
Miss Dekker was put under the guardianship of the Utrecht Youth Care agency and the case will be reviewed after two months.
Peter de Lange, the Dekkers' lawyer, described the case as "exceptional".
"The crucial question is whether it is wrong for parents to allow their child to indulge in her passion," he told Radio Netherlands.
Caroline Vink, a senior adviser on youth protection in the Netherlands, said the case needed to be "looked into".
"We're talking about a 13-year-old," she told the BBC. "You can also question whether she's able to take this decision for herself, and whether the parents are making the decision in the best interests of Laura."
Miss Dekker was reportedly born on a yacht off the coast of New Zealand during a seven-year world trip.
She 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 had earlier told Dutch television.
"I want simply to learn about the world and to live freely."
tl;dr “ I want simply to learn about the world and to live freely ”, 13 year old Laura Dekker
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What do you all think?
#2
Posted 28 August 2009 - 04:20 PM
#3
Posted 28 August 2009 - 04:23 PM
#4
Posted 28 August 2009 - 04:30 PM
#8
Posted 28 August 2009 - 05:49 PM
TheEnglishman, on Aug 28 2009, 06:20 PM, said:
Miss Dekker apparently has quite remarkable experience. She was born on a boat off the coast of New Zealand and spent the first four years of her life with the family there. She has been actively sailing since she was 6, and has done solo sailing since 10 in the North Sea.
#10
Posted 28 August 2009 - 09:32 PM
In the worst case, she'll die doing what she wants to do. Or natural selection. But w/e.
#11
Posted 28 August 2009 - 09:51 PM
It sounds like she has plenty of experience, anyway.
#12
Posted 28 August 2009 - 10:36 PM
Someone Else, on Aug 29 2009, 01:51 PM, said:
Or with your corpse rotting on the ocean floor, for that matter.
She wouldn't do it alone. Any circumnavigator worth their salt has an emergency crew or an escort, it's far too risky without one. Thing is... someone has to pay for all that.
#13
Posted 28 August 2009 - 11:06 PM
#14
Posted 28 August 2009 - 11:18 PM
Split Infinity, on Aug 28 2009, 09:36 PM, said:
True, but the greater the risk the greater the gain. I'm a sucker for doing shit like this, maybe not this grand but...
I was in Europe with no family or anyone else I knew when I was 14. I still had supervisors and some peers the same age as me, but I did a lot of personal development during that time. A whole new world for me. Just once in life, everyone should do something and go somewhere out of their comfort zone. Maybe a sailing trip around the world at 13 years of age wouldn't be for everyone, but whatever floats your boat. Pun maybe intended.
#15
Posted 29 August 2009 - 10:30 AM
#16
Posted 29 August 2009 - 03:58 PM
Someone Else, on Aug 29 2009, 07:18 AM, said:
Hey, you could have payed a visit!
#19
Posted 30 August 2009 - 12:32 AM
#20
Posted 30 August 2009 - 12:35 AM
eurotrash ^
(we cant include France in this, because then the west is FUCKED)
#21
Posted 30 August 2009 - 02:06 AM
#22
Posted 30 August 2009 - 02:21 AM
Can't say I saw anybody like that on my trip. I don't remember, at least.
#23
Posted 30 August 2009 - 08:06 AM
http://www.goldensun-syndicate.net/forum/public/style_images/gssv3/snapback.png' alt='View Post' />Drizzy Drake, on Aug 30 2009, 08:35 AM, said:
eurotrash ^
(we cant include France in this, because then the west is FUCKED)
So what's so wrong about them? The fact that they're confident enough with their looks or the fact that they take good care of themselves and don't look like complete douches?
#25
Posted 30 August 2009 - 12:18 PM
NYC means I'm better than all of you.
#26
Posted 30 August 2009 - 01:20 PM
Toasty, on Aug 29 2009, 04:32 AM, said:
In the worst case, she'll die doing what she wants to do. Or natural selection. But w/e.
This.
O SHI- I'm agreeing with toasty.
But yeah, delaying it isn't going to do anything other than make her want to do it more.
#28
Posted 30 August 2009 - 05:39 PM
#30
Posted 30 August 2009 - 07:34 PM
Aight, take it easy with the posts that are only an image.