Big brother to the rescue....

News just reported that 11 year old Maribel Cuevas will not be facing felony assault charges for hitting a 9 year old boy with a stone after she was being taunted and pelted with water balloons.

Maribel will not have to plead guilty, but she will have to participate in a mediation program in which she will be required to meet with her young victim and talk about the fight.

I remember the days when Police and Courts were not necessary additions to childhood squabbles. While there were even back in those ancient years parents that claimed "My child would never do something like that", we realized if we did something wrong it would not be excused, we would be punished and both parties would be forced to shake hands and make up.

The 9 year old boy admits he started it, his parents did not wish to press charges, that's where you would have thought it would have ended. Had it made it to court, while no one believes rock throwing is an acceptable way of dealing with a situation, there were other factors that would have come into play. Especially since the claim that there had been a pattern of harrassment by this 9 year old and some of his friends has not been questioned.

In the end, at least she will not have a felony conviction or face the possibility of a three year sentence in a juvenile facility. Perhaps this 9 year old will learn that he has some responsibility in this situation as well. Maribel has definitely learned the next time she is under harrassment that she can't fight back, unless she happens to have some water balloons of her own handy. Then again, if she blinded one of them......

I never cease to wonder why situations like this happen in the first place. Even given the language barrier, the parents of the nine year old should have been made aware of this behavior in the past. Had that been addressed? None of this would have happened. Earth to Parents.....phone home......