Forbidden to Minors
Dutch court rules teenager Laura Dekker can't sail around the world solo
A Dutch court upheld the suspension until July 1 of a 14-year-old girl's bid to sail around the world solo, citing fears for her safety and ordering her supervision by authorities.
Laura Dekker needs to complete the two-year trip before she turns 17 on September 20, 2012, to break the current record.
"The court is of the opinion that the two-year solo sailing trip as planned ... holds great and unacceptable risks for the child," the appeals court in the eastern city of Arnhem, said in a written judgment.
"It has not been shown that the safety of the child would be sufficiently guaranteed during the trip."
The court upheld a ruling by the district court in Utrecht in the central Netherlands last October, which barred the girl from setting off until at least July 1, when the school year expires.
It agreed she should remain under the supervision of child care services until that time, saying Dekker's father Dick Dekker, supports Laura's bid, "has a limited appreciation of the risks involved".
(Published by Herald Sun - May 4, 2010)