I have two pre-teens, and this email really struck home with me. I have signed a few petitions on change.org, and so they send me random items which might be of interest. Just wanted to flag this one up here, as it seemed to me to be something which MNetters, particularly in this section might respond to too.
I don't condone drink driving ever, but this just seemed so sad, and it isn't asking for leniency for those who do it, but rather highlighting an issue which seems quite straightforward to resolve, unless I am missing something.
Feel free to ignore if it isn't for you, but just thought I'd post it here. So sad
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If the law was different our son Joe would still be alive.
Joe was our only son. Last August he was arrested after failing a breath test. He was just seventeen and made a bad decision to drive home after a party. Two days later Joe took his own life. We found him at home with the police charge sheet at his feet. That was the first we knew about the arrest.
Because Joe was seventeen he was treated as an adult at the police station so the police didn't call us. The trauma of the situation led Joe to take his life.
We don't think any teenager should have to go through that alone, so we've started a petition on Change.org calling on the Government to change the law to ensure seventeen-year-olds are treated as children upon arrest.
If arrested, seventeen-year-olds are treated as adults while in custody -- but if they go to court they are rightly treated as children. This is an anomaly of British law and needs to be fixed. If we had been told about Joe's arrest we could have supported him and let him know that you can get through things like this.
Unfortunately Joe is not the only seventeen-year-old to have taken his own life after being arrested. For someone of any age being held in a police station is a traumatic experience but especially so for young people without the support of an adult.
Right now a judge is considering whether to recommend the Government changes the law but the Government is contesting the case, arguing it's expensive to change. We believe if enough people sign our petition we can convince MPs that protecting our children and fixing this anomaly is worth it.
Link to Change.org wher you can sign our petition calling on the Government to change the law.
Thank you,
Nick and Jane Lawton
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Petition request you might be interested in on change.org
Notquitegrownup · 10/03/2013 23:05
Signed this yesterday - I don't condone drink driving either but it is a tragic waste of a young life and I can't begin to imagine how the parents must feel.
flow - I did it from my phone and had to try a few times before it worked - not quite sure how it did in the end! Not very helpful, sorry 
Signed. I have a 17 yo DS who, while basically a good lad can be a bit of a pillock at times. I'd hate the thought of him being arrested and treated as an adult and me not being told.
That poor family
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Message withdrawn at poster's request.
Thank you everybody who signed the petition, i put a link to it in the politics section but should have thought to put it here too. Thankyou Notquitegrownup for doing this.
- Joe was an amazing young man with such a bright future ahead of him he is really missed by his friends. The strength that Nick and Jane have shown is incredible.
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