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Dutch teen sailor to stay with dad after escapade
Source: Agencies |
December 25, 2009, Friday
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A DUTCH court has ruled that 14-year-old sailor Laura Dekker can remain in her father's custody after she ran away from home and traveled alone to the Caribbean.
Wednesday's ruling by the Utrecht District Court clears the way once again for Dekker to pursue her goal of becoming the youngest person to sail solo around the world.
Dekker's spokeswoman said the teenager had "jumped a hole in the sky" after hearing the news. "That it took a trip to St Maarten, so be it," Mariska Woertman said.
Dekker had originally planned to depart this year with the support of her father. But that plan was blocked by the court in October, which ordered her to wait at least until 2010 before starting. It also ordered her to undergo scrutiny by social workers.
Frustrated by the regime she was subjected to, she fled last week to the Dutch Caribbean territory of St Maarten.
After being spotted, she returned to the Netherlands on Tuesday. Child welfare authorities then asked the court to place her with another family for three months, but that request was denied.
Judges said Laura's father Dick and social workers had clashed on what she needed to do to prepare for her trip.
Laura's lawyer Peter de Lange praised Wednesday's decision for clarifying that if Laura meets certain conditions - which were not made public - she will be given permission to depart on her trip next summer.
"It's not, 'Do your best and we'll see' anymore," he said. "It's, 'If you do your best then it's going to happen and we'll see to it that it does'."
Wednesday's ruling by the Utrecht District Court clears the way once again for Dekker to pursue her goal of becoming the youngest person to sail solo around the world.
Dekker's spokeswoman said the teenager had "jumped a hole in the sky" after hearing the news. "That it took a trip to St Maarten, so be it," Mariska Woertman said.
Dekker had originally planned to depart this year with the support of her father. But that plan was blocked by the court in October, which ordered her to wait at least until 2010 before starting. It also ordered her to undergo scrutiny by social workers.
Frustrated by the regime she was subjected to, she fled last week to the Dutch Caribbean territory of St Maarten.
After being spotted, she returned to the Netherlands on Tuesday. Child welfare authorities then asked the court to place her with another family for three months, but that request was denied.
Judges said Laura's father Dick and social workers had clashed on what she needed to do to prepare for her trip.
Laura's lawyer Peter de Lange praised Wednesday's decision for clarifying that if Laura meets certain conditions - which were not made public - she will be given permission to depart on her trip next summer.
"It's not, 'Do your best and we'll see' anymore," he said. "It's, 'If you do your best then it's going to happen and we'll see to it that it does'."
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