Taking a beating
Federal Court Ruling from the Melbourne Age, Australia (AP) - A seven year old boy was at the centre of a courtroom drama yesterday when he challenged a court ruling over who should have custody of him.
The boy has a history of being beaten by his parents and the judge initially awarded custody to his aunt, in keeping with the child custody law and regulations requiring that family unity be maintained to the degree possible.
The boy surprised the court when he proclaimed that his aunt beat him more than his parents and he adamantly refused to live with her. When the judge suggested that he live with his grandparents, the boy cried out that they also beat him.
After considering the remainder of the immediate family and learning that domestic violence was apparently a way of life among them, the judge took the unprecedented step of allowing the boy to propose who should have custody of him.
After two recesses to check legal references and confer with child welfare officials, the judge granted temporary custody to the English cricket Team, whom the boy firmly believes are "not capable of beating anyone."
That's a good one, no? Thanks to norm for that one.
Obviously, having shown great interest in how things were going in the Ashes — and having mentioned one or two of the most memorable highlights (at least from an English point of view) — you might have expected arbitrary constant to comment on England's suffering a 5–0 whitewash. Suffice it to say, it's all a bit too depressing to do so, and so the "joke" above will have to do. Man, I don't even have the rugby to fall back on!
Filed in Sport