Posted on 10/23/2007 2:31:25 PM PDT by uxbridge
The report of a Weare father attacking his daughter's boyfriend on school grounds after discovering the teenagers had sex earlier that day has evoked passion in readers.
The boy is 17 and the girl is 15.
Police say the attack happened Sept. 10 as John Stark High School in Henniker was letting out for the day and was witnessed many students.
The girl's father was charged with simple assault, a class B felony.
A Weare police detective was interviewing the 17-year-old from Henniker yesterday, said Deputy Chief Bill Quigley, but no charges have been filed against him.
Because the girl is not old enough to consent under state law, police are investigating the father's allegation as a sexual assault.
The story drew comments from Myrtle Beach, S.C., to Baghdad, Iraq.
Many people defended the irate father's actions, with one reader suggesting a defense fund be set up and several others saying they would contribute.
"If more parents acted like this father maybe we wouldn't have so many teen pregnancies," wrote Dorie Smith of New Boston. "It's refreshing to see a father stand up for his child and not just say, 'Oh, that's what teenagers do.'"
Others said the man should be prosecuted for violently taking the law into his own hands.
"I am also shocked at the number of people defending the father's actions," wrote Tina Thompson of Sutton. "The father's actions are vigilantism at its worst, and I hope the authorities throw the book at him."
Michelle Howard, of Henniker, said an adult should be expected to have more control over his fist than a teenager has over his hormones.
"As a mother of three boys," she wrote, "I will make sure they get every kiss and so on in writing, to protect us from some testosterone-raging father."
The boy, who police say was dating the girl, was bruised in the attack and required two stitches in his face.
Police said the father discovered the teens had sex during school hours but not on school property.
The New Hampshire Union Leader does not identify sexual assault victims. For that reason, the newspaper is not identifying the father.
Chris, of Nashua, said there's little danger of stigma being attached to anyone involved in the incident.
"The 15-year old girl is not a victim here," he said. "She is a teen engaging in sexual activity - just like 90 percent of her peers. Therefore the father does not deserve to have his name hidden from the public. Publish his name in the paper just like any other adult who is charged with assault."
Meg, of Derry, agreed, saying many teen girls are sexually active.
"People see the word 'rape' in statutory rape and think that the boy forced himself on her like a beast," she wrote. "Let me tell you, that is hardly the case in many instances. ... Assault is assault, Pops. Jail is where you go, and you learn YOUR lesson just like your daughter and her boyfriend learn theirs."
Sue, of Pembroke, said lessons could have been learned, but weren't.
"This would have been the perfect opportunity (for the man) to show his daughter how adults behave themselves when faced with a difficult situation," she wrote. "When she is an adult she will look back and realize the infantile manner in which her father behaved himself."
Tonya Ferrara, of Manchester, said vigilante justice - family style - might play a useful role in crime fighting.
"Maybe if this happened to sex offenders the first time they were caught we wouldn't have repeat offenders," she wrote.
Using violence to solve problems is the real threat to society, wrote Christina, of Henniker.
"Let the father of the boy beat up the father of the girl, and then the older brother beat up the older brother," she wrote. "Why stop there? Why not have his friends beat up her friends? It's views like this that start world wars."
Mark Emerson, of Lancaster, said the man's chief mistake was getting caught.
"Put in that same situation," he said, "I probably would have knocked his lights out also, just without all the witnesses."
Tom Linehan, of Salem, defended the father's actions without qualification.
"There ought to be a fund to help pay the legal fees for people like this father who not only defend their kids but also more broadly defend the rest of us from miscreants," wrote Linehan. "There is no defense for rape."
I agree
If Daddy and Mommy teach their daughter to keep her legs together it wouldn’t happen either.
>>Michelle Howard, of Henniker, said an adult should be expected to have more control over his fist than a teenager has over his hormones.
“As a mother of three boys,” she wrote, “I will make sure they get every kiss and so on in writing, to protect us from some testosterone-raging father.” <<
Holy Crap Michelle, do you see that the girl was 15 and even if she signed a paper, the boy could be charged with rape.
I pray that she is teaching her boys better than this.
He shouldn’t have done it....................(at school)..............heh,heh,heh.......
It’s about time Real Men started acting like men. The feminist have helped destroy our morals and culture. If more fathers did this, it would stop these snot nose kids from taking advantage of younger woman.
Let me tell you FRiend, if this had been my father, the boy would have been looking for his testicles on the sidewalk. And would have clocked me as well. In fact, when superglue was first invented, he told all three of his daughters that he WOULD put it to good use if he ever found out that one of us was screwing around.
The boy had a couple bruises and needed two stitches. Awww. He’s lucky he got off lightly. Lots of fear and no big damage.
And my daughters know
1. Daddy is a former Marine
2. He takes no crap
3. He owns guns and knows how to use them
Exactly...and keep in mind that...thanks to the takeover of the leftists in NH, the state has just done away with parental notification before abortions...so this 15 year-old (too young to consent to sex) is according to the warped logic of the left, sufficiently old enough to elect to have a major medical procedure like an abortion without consulting her parents
“If more parents acted like this father maybe we wouldn’t have so many teen pregnancies”
I don’t understand this comment at all. This girl does have a father like this, and she is having sex. Obviously his angry reactions aren’t serving as a deterent for her.
IMO the boy is not a rapist and the father does not deserve to go to jail. The boy is having consensual sex with a girl within two years of his age. The father reacted in anger to a situation, and anyone with a daughter can completely understand the reaction. The boy wasn’t seriously hurt. Why must this get dragged into the legal system.
I am so happy your children will never sin or make a mistake. It must be wonderful.
That boy wouldn’t want to meet up with my husband if he had laid a hand on our daughter. Oh. She would have been in a ton of trouble as well. Thankfully, she was raised well enough that this wasn’t an issue.
And I sincerely doubt that 90% of that girl’s peers are sexually active. That’s just the impression that everyone wants to give.
BINGO............we have a winner!
If Daddy and Mommy teach their Sons to keep their zipper closed it wouldn’t happen either.
Man, as the father of two teenaged girls, I have trouble with this. I’d like to pound the kid, too, but this sounds like the 15 year old girl was a willing participant (yes, I know, by law she can’t “consent” - well, she did). I’d be more likely to come down hard on my daughter AND file a criminal complaint against the boy/man. That being said, if there was ANY evidence that she was anything but a completely willing participant, he’s toast.
It would serve as a deterrent to boys who should be able to control their hormones...there was a time, not too long ago, when a boy that was having sex with a girl would have expected to get a beat down from her father if he found out...
maybe that is no longer the case...unfortunately
NH statutory rape law, under 16.
The kid broke the law. Nuff said.
Overall I'd say a night or two in jail for the Dad is a small price to pay, and pay it he must.
That's true but we have to remember the male isn't always the aggressor. Legs together, zipper in the up position does effectively prevent pregnancy.
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