We are all aware that in public spaces, we have to be mindful about the things we leave around -- there are always bad-minded people who can steal things they see. Still, sometimes we leave things around if we deem the environment and people in it safe enough. Sadly, sometimes even in places like that, things go missing.
You guessed it, something like that happened to today's author. Her expensive fishing equipment went missing, and when she found it, the thief wasn't someone you expected. And yet, she still decided to go the legal route, especially when the equipment was damaged beyond repair.
More info: Reddit
Sometimes we leave our belongings around, hoping no one would take them, but the reality is that there are plenty of people with ill intent around
Image credits: Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
A young woman rested her expensive fishing pole near her camping chair, hoping people would be kind enough to not take it
Image credits: Vladimir Srajber / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Apparently, someone wasn't kind enough, as suddenly she noticed the pole was gone
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After running around, the woman found that the thief was an 11-year-old girl, who, when asked to give back what wasn't hers, broke the pole
Image credits: anon
What made the matter even worse is that the girl's mom supported her daughter, who was clearly in the wrong
The OP is a young woman, 18 years old, who loves fishing. While this activity can be written off as one only for the men, in reality, more and more women are showing interest in it. Here, back in 2022, it was announced that in the United States, women now accounted for 37% of anglers. So, while, yes, men are still dominating the field, the women are starting to not be a minority.
The post’s original poster likes to fish so much that she even has pretty expensive equipment for it; it’s serious for her.
And so, one day, she was fishing at her local park. She was using her second pole, which has a lower for bass, while her expensive one was sitting in her camping chair.
Suddenly, she noticed that this pole was gone. She ran around, looking for anyone who might have taken it. She found her – it was a little girl, around 11 years old. The OP tried to play it safe. She came up to the girl and asked her where she got such a nice pole. She answered that she simply “found it.”
The young woman tried explaining to the girl that it was actually her pole and she should give it back, but the youngster wasn’t having it. Instead of doing what she’s been asked to, the girl angrily stabbed the lip of the pole into the ground, and with force until it snapped in half.
This made the original poster lose her cool, and she started yelling at the entitled brat. This made the girl’s mom come over running. If you expected the woman to be reasonable and reprimand her daughter for her nasty behavior, you are wrong. She doubled down on the daughter’s statement that “she found it, so it’s hers.”
Even the threats of the police didn’t make the little family change their attitude. Still, the OP decided to call them and later to sue the girl for $700.
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Bored Panda reached out to law school graduate Jurgita to talk a little more about the process of suing children.
She explained that, indeed, it’s possible to sue children, but it doesn’t mean that the process is going to be easy. After all, all legal processes are complicated, but when you involve children, it gets even more complex: “Children's rights are protected both on national and international levels. Usually, such cases take a long time.”
To be more specific, at least in Lithuania, where Jurgita is from, parents or guardians are responsible for children under the age of 14. Then, if a child is between the ages of 14 and 18, it depends on their contracts.
The first clause applies to today’s story since the fishing pole breaker seems to be around 11 years old. So, theoretically, if the event had taken place in Lithuania and not in what seems to be the United States, it would mean that the OP is suing a parent, not the child herself.
Jurgita also mentioned that most commonly, cases that include minors as defendants are regarding damaged property, so just like in today’s story. The only difference is that usually the defendants are over 14.
The outcomes of cases like that depend on the extent of the damage: “The defendant might be ordered to compensate for the damage. Depending on their age, a fine or other measures can be imposed, especially if there’s particularly serious damage or illegal activities. Criminal liability isn’t off the table in extremely harsh cases.”
Since today’s story is relatively new, posted just a few days ago, there isn’t an update on how OP’s intention to sue progressed – whether she actually did it/is going to do it, or gonna pull out. Either way, just as netizens pointed out, she wasn’t in the wrong in the whole situation, which can maybe bring her at least a little consolation, even though it won’t bring her broken equipment back.
So, now the woman is considering legal action against the girl, which, while it sounds odd, isn't unheard of
