10-year-old Rafi and his 6-year-old little sister, Dvora, were quite surprised when the cops rolled up to them one winter afternoon.
They had been happily playing with each other at their local park. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, when suddenly the police officers were saying they were putting them in squad cars to take them down to the police station.
It turned out that a local woman saw the two children walking alone in the local park. There wasn't a single parent in sight, so something clearly must have been quite wrong. She called 911, and the rest is history.
The only problem with this whole situation is that the parents of these two kids knew exactly where they were. Parents Danielle and Alexander are "free-range parents" — that is, they raise their kids to be self-reliant. The parents argue that other parents put their kids at a calculated risk every single day, like when they put their kids in the car every day, it's a necessary evil in life.
The children tried to tell the police they were fine and didn't need help, but the cops had to follow the law: that anyone under the age of eight had to be accompanied by a responsible person aged 13 or older, even if it was just to play at the playground!
The parents were found "responsible for child neglect," and even though they won't have to go to jail, they're still fighting the allegations.
What do you think? Back in the early days, kids would roam free all over the place, and it certainly wasn't a crime. Do you think these parents are putting their kids in danger, or should everyone just calm down and stop expecting the worst? Let us know in the comments below!
And please SHARE this strange story if you remember being allowed to walk around your neighborhood when you were a kid!
