A few months ago, this outstanding mother in Alabama [http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a88_1249007894&p=1] of the US was caught dragging her child through a Verizon store on a backpack leash and gets some jail time out of it. Video was shot on a cellphone by a fellow patron after hearing all the screams which the mother could not have fathomed would have been recorded. This video doesn't have any sound, which makes it look like the child is pretty content with being dragged by a leash.
According to Floyd County Jail records: "Melissa Catherine Smith-Means, 37, of Gaylesville, Ala., was arrested by Rome police around 12:30 p.m. She was charged with felony first-degree cruelty to children. Police say she was observed by customers and employees at a store on Broad Street, dragging a small child around by a backpack leash. The child had visible marks on the neck from the incident." She now remains in jail without bail.
All joking aside, seems like sort of an extreme response to dragging around a child that's throwing a temper tantrum. What do you guys think?
EDIT: To make sure this is perfectly clear, the leash was attached to his backpack harness which isn't connected to the neck; the "visible marks on the neck from the incident" was caused by the leash itself rubbing against the side of his neck during the dragging which can be easily seen in the video that the cord was coming up from his back under the left shoulder and rubbed along the left side of the child's neck. The leashes themselves are usually very rubbery; letting them stretch to absorb excessive force, so the probability of actually hurting choking or breaking the child's neck are pretty low and certainly no more than dragging any other limp child along a smooth floor by, say, its arms.
According to Floyd County Jail records: "Melissa Catherine Smith-Means, 37, of Gaylesville, Ala., was arrested by Rome police around 12:30 p.m. She was charged with felony first-degree cruelty to children. Police say she was observed by customers and employees at a store on Broad Street, dragging a small child around by a backpack leash. The child had visible marks on the neck from the incident." She now remains in jail without bail.
All joking aside, seems like sort of an extreme response to dragging around a child that's throwing a temper tantrum. What do you guys think?
EDIT: To make sure this is perfectly clear, the leash was attached to his backpack harness which isn't connected to the neck; the "visible marks on the neck from the incident" was caused by the leash itself rubbing against the side of his neck during the dragging which can be easily seen in the video that the cord was coming up from his back under the left shoulder and rubbed along the left side of the child's neck. The leashes themselves are usually very rubbery; letting them stretch to absorb excessive force, so the probability of actually hurting choking or breaking the child's neck are pretty low and certainly no more than dragging any other limp child along a smooth floor by, say, its arms.
