News & Politics - Kid set on fire, Parents say "kids being kids"

**Mio** · 05-26-2005, 08:04 AM

This is the biggest news story in Winnipeg this year. If you read it, I think you'd be outraged too.

The other day a 10 year old boy was set fire after kids did what is called "Flame and Run". They poured lighter fluid on the kid after he refused to give him his hat. His legs recieved 2nd degree burns and now needs a skin graph after doctors learned it's not healing properly.

The kids who did it are two thirteen year olds (1 boy, 1 girl) and a 11 year old who cannot be charged because of the Youth Justice Act which states that any child under 12 cannot be charged with a crime because they are not criminally responsible for their actions due to not knowing what they were doing at the time.

The parents of the 13 year old daughter are saying "these are kids being kids" and his daughter shouldn't be charged.

Well, his daughter is lucky I'm not her judge because if so, I would charge her with attempted murder causing grevious bodily harm. She would be in a juvenille detention center (where all criminal kids go, unless they commit a crime that sends them to the pen) until she turns 18, then four years in a woman's prison.

This kid nearly died and I feel that these morons will only get a slap on the wrist once they have their court date. However, they will remain in a detention center until the judge reviewes the charges and what not.

Father of accused 13 year old daughter, chimes in.

Quote:

Unfairly blamed?

Dad of accused girl says even so-called 'heroes' responsible

By ROCHELLE SQUIRES AND FRANK LANDRY, STAFF REPORTERS

A dismayed father said his 13-year-old daughter is unfairly taking the brunt of the blame for setting 10-year-old Kasey Richard on fire.

"I don't think my daughter is getting a fair treatment," said the father, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his daughter -- a youth charged with aggravated assault and uttering threats.

"She's very upset. She even started crying when I was there (at the Manitoba Youth Centre) Sunday night. She wants to come home.

"I hope she gets out soon."

The girl and a 14-year-old boy also charged in the case made a court appearance yesterday and are scheduled to appear in a youth courtroom again today.

DOUSED WITH LIGHTER FLUID

An 11-year-old boy was also allegedly involved but cannot be charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, which deems any person under 12 years of age not criminally responsible for their actions.

The suspects have been in custody since Saturday night, when Richard had his shoes and pants doused with lighter fluid and set on fire.

Police say Richard and his two friends, age 9 and 11, approached three youths playing with fire on the street near Aberdeen Avenue and McKenzie Street in the North End.

The youth suspects allegedly asked the boys to play with them. When the boys declined, they grabbed Kasey, sprayed him with the fluid and set the fire. When the flames grew out of control, all five youths allegedly helped Kasey put out the fire.

"They were all fooling around and playing with fire. They were playing a dare game ... all of them, even the so-called heroes," said the dad, referring to the two kids who carried Richard to a nearby home and called police.

Richard is still at Children's Hospital, where he is recovering from second-degree burns.

The father said all six youths involved in the incident should become involved in a fire safety program.

He also said the lack of community centres and poverty is a problem for North End youth.

"If they had sports then they would be tired and fulfilled and wouldn't have to go out at night looking for fun," he said.

Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard echoed the father's concerns.

He said the torching is a sign there aren't enough recreational opportunities in the city for kids.

"You end up with problems like we've got here," Gerrard said. "This government hasn't done the job they should have ... This is never acceptable to have kids lighting each other on fire."

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Gord Mackintosh said he's been lobbying Ottawa to alter the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act to include kids under 12 in exceptional circumstances.

Tory justice critic Kelvin Goertzen said more must be done in schools to identify kids who pose a risk of getting in trouble with the law.

Our local columnist replies to the parents of the accused kids response "kids being kids"

Quote:

Wed, May 25, 2005

It's simple, parents, supervise your kids

By TOM BRODBECK -- Winnipeg Sun

After we all get over the horror and shock of a group of young kids lighting a 10-year-old boy on fire in Winnipeg's North End over the weekend, maybe we can start talking about adult supervision.

Because that's what this story is really about.

I know a lot of people want to pin this ghastly act on the "mean streets" of the North End, poverty, a lack of community centres or lax youth criminal justice laws.

But that's the dummy version of the story.

Poor kids, their parents are low-income. If they only had more money and a community centre that was open at 10:30 on a Saturday night, these kids wouldn't be out on the street with the scumbags, the muggers and the pimps. Or so the story goes.

I know it makes for good news copy, but it's pablum.

These are red herrings -- excuses people use to explain irresponsible parenting. It's easier to blame something institutional than to take responsibility for your own actions.

I'm not going to hurl blame at any specific parent in this calamity. There's a child in the hospital who sustained some pretty bad burns and I'm sure his parents feel awful about it. As a parent, my heart goes out to them.

It's a horrible thing that happened.

But when I read that kids as young as nine were out on the street after 10:30 p.m. without their parents and without any adult supervision, my stomach sank.

What the hell are elementary school children doing walking the streets late at night in the dark by themselves?

And where on Earth are their parents?

What is this, the Lord of the Flies of the North End where kids just walk around playing with fire and fending for themselves?

Since Kasey Richard was allegedly lit on fire by a group of kids age 11 to 14, people have been asking how this can happen.

It's not that complicated. It happens when you don't supervise your kids.

It happens when children young enough to have favourite stuffed animals to cuddle are left to explore and experiment on dark streets alone without adult supervision.

They're kids. Young kids. Some of the children in this story aren't even in middle school yet, for goodness sakes.

We live in a society where people automatically think there's some kind of government system in place to look after their kids.

We want cheap, government child care for all.

We want public schools to raise our children.

We want police to protect our kids while they're walking the streets.

We want tougher laws and maybe bylaws to prevent kids from buying lighter fluid.

But you know what, if you're going to let your young children walk around with their friends late at night without adult supervision -- without even knowing where they are -- they will be vulnerable to harm. You're putting your kids at risk.

No laws, police presence or community centres are going to change that.

Step up to the plate, parents. Look out for your children. Teach them. Supervise them. Discipline them. Know where they are. Because they need you. They desperately need you. They want you to care where they are at 10:30 p.m.

Without you, they don't have a chance.

Lexis · 05-27-2005, 04:41 AM

Something has to be done - whatever form that takes (harsher punishments, more recreaction facilities, parenting classes so that stupid people like that father don't dismiss attempted murder as "kids being kids"), we have to invest in it.

Right now in the UK, a craze termed "Happy Slapping" has taken off. This poor man had fallen asleep n a bus shelter and these mornic teenagers not only beat and set him on fire, they filmed it so they could distrubute it to their friends.

- Jen - · 05-27-2005, 05:10 AM

absolutely disgusting, and they father trying to justify it as "kids being kids" ? how the hell can anyone justify an act like that...

You cant tell me that an 13/14 year olds, dont know setting a kid on fire is wrong...even the 11 year old should know its wrong, just because the law says they cant be held responsible, a kid that age should know right and wrong...

mh67511 · 05-27-2005, 09:05 PM

Horrible. And to blame it on lack of recreation opportunities? Give me a break. Why do we always have to entertain kids? No, normal kids do not do things like this. The only time "kids will be kids" is when the parents suck as parenting and provide no supervision and minimal discipline.

I think the fact that the parents shrug is off is just as bad, if not worse than what the kids did. Any adult that makes up excuses for something like this is just nuts. My parents would have whopped me and punished me! They sure wouldn't be defending me!

In Fair Verona · 05-28-2005, 10:24 AM

That is despicable. This father probably has the warped perception that he's protecting his daughter or doing her good by trying to get her out of this, but any real parent would know that's not the way to handle it. You can't let your love get in the way of justice. Honestly, if they let these kids - who clearly have some misconceptions which need to be clearified and sorted out - if you let these kids get away with this much at this age, I don't want to image what they will try when they hit fifteen or sixteen.

I hope they find a suitable punishment for the children responsible. Even if the law cannot do anything to the 11 year old, I do hope that the parents won't take the easy way out and that they at least enforce some sort of punishment in their household. More importantly, I hope they provide some sort of mandatory program for their parents of these kids, some sort of counselling because that's where this problem has originated. In the parents, and it might not be because of something they did, but because of something they didn't do.

I have the most sympathy for the victim here, who did not deserve anything so brutal, who did not deserve anything like that at all. Poor kid.

**Mio** · 05-28-2005, 04:11 PM

What I hate is when they blame it on poverty. Poverty does not take away your common sense or your brain in order to teach your children right or wrong. A lot of former kids who were raised in poverty wrote and fired back at the parents of the kids who did this and said "look, I grew up with a single mom who took care of us two kids, working three jobs and we still lived in poverty. We knew right from wrong and NEVER did a thing like this." She is absolutely right. It comes down to the parents teaching their kids- obviously these didn't.

Jen Jaree · 06-16-2005, 08:11 PM

I read that article a few weeks ago. My reaction was what the ***** is wrong with parents today and I can't believe that 13 year old girl isn't going to get in trouble from her parents. If I did that I would never see daylight again.

**Quarterley** · 06-16-2005, 09:01 PM

If the girl got decent responsible parents who taught her well, she wouldn't voluntarily got involved in setting someone on fire. Sigh. People these days.....

Lain · 06-16-2005, 10:16 PM

Kinda like "lads being lads" in the stripper thread (The one of the mom hiring a stripper for her son's b-day)?

icyrainbow · 06-17-2005, 06:04 AM

In the article the father said his daughter was crying, well she should be.

Ugh, I don't know what to say. I'm in shock that the parents think this way...


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