Mom Arrested for Letting 11-Year-Old Walk Alone: Parenting or Overreach?
In Mineral Bluff, Georgia, Brittany Patterson was arrested after her 11-year-old son, walked less than a mile into town alone. Patterson, a mother of four, believed Soren was playing on their 16-acre property, but he had ventured into town and was spotted by a concerned passerby who alerted the police.
A sheriff brought Soren home, but later returned to arrest Patterson, citing potential dangers such as being hit by a car or kidnapped. Patterson was detained, fingerprinted, and released on $500 bail. The Division of Family and Child Services mandated a “safety plan,” requiring her to assign a caregiver and suggesting a tracking app, which she declined.
This case raises a the question: is arresting a parent for allowing their 5th or 6th grade child some independence justified, or is it an overreach?
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