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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to want this parent jailed?

173 replies

MyWitzEnd · 24/09/2020 06:50

They got a covid test result of positive on Saturday. In Monday they sent their year 7 child to school. Tuesday the child was tested, Weds positive result, Thurs the whole year group goes home for two weeks. As a teacher, and vulnerable, mixing with 700 kids a day, I want him jailed (in two weeks!!)

OP posts:
KenDodd · 24/09/2020 08:54

Actually scratch that. Plenty of people will care more about having to pay a fine that passing covid on to someone who then dies from it.

redlockscelt · 24/09/2020 08:55

@KenDodd

I think it's really sad that we are so, so selfish now. I'm sure it wasn't so much 'each for their own' in the past. Frankly who cares about the fine, that should be the least of anyone's worries. If the knowledge that you could pass covid on to someone and they could DIE doesn't keep someone in nothing will.
The fine bothers me as there will be children not getting fed because their parents are idiots.
saleorbouy · 24/09/2020 08:55

Your story just goes to show the feckless stupidity and ignorance of a small minority can undo all the good work achieved by the majority who are careful and abide by the government guidelines and adapt their lifestyles.
Unfortunately this is what the government is up against when trying to control this virus, you can't legislate against stupid!

MJMG2015 · 24/09/2020 08:57

Prison is too good for him - wanker.

corythatwas · 24/09/2020 09:01

Well, I don't blame you for being angry, that is totally irresponsible.

Otoh those who are talking about fines and prison as deterrents- are you aware that fines and prison are the threats already being made against parents of children who have too many sickness absences?

Now, I was a responsible parent and would far have preferred to go to prison for having kept other people safe; in fact, I would have risked prison to keep other people safe.

But those years of constant threats from the school and headmaster nearly broke me. The day my dd left school was one of the happiest days of my life.

If we are going to get parents behaving responsibly here, schools need to do a LOT to signal that normal sanctions for high absences will not apply, that your child will not be penalised, that you as a parent will not become an object of suspicion. They need to remember what decades of threats and suspicion have done to some parents and take it from there.

Kaiserin · 24/09/2020 09:01

OP: how come you know about the original positive test? Who told you?
Your story is not very credible unless you explain that particular detail.

AntiHop · 24/09/2020 09:01

I'd be so furious. This whole situation is a bloody nightmare, but the kind of behaviour from this parent will make everything worse.

KenDodd · 24/09/2020 09:03

Unfortunately this is what the government is up against when trying to control this virus

Can I remind you of Dominic Cummings actions when they had covid and decided to travel the length of the country. The Gov stood right behind him. Lots of evidence that this was a turning point on individual actions re covid.

lljkk · 24/09/2020 09:03

Indeed, Kaieserin.

steppemum · 24/09/2020 09:09

Dd was off ill at the end of last week. On Sunday she started coughing. On Monday we got her tested and the rest of us all self isolated until the result came through.
Ds (A levels) was furious
dd1 (GCSE) was furious
me - I lost a days pay.

Fortunately the result came in negative on Tuesday morning.

I really think parents like this need fining. And it needs to be much more repeated part of the message.

Does you kid have symptoms? The whole family MUST isolate until the test result comes in. Positive result? 14 days at home.
repeat
repeat
repeat

ddl1 · 24/09/2020 09:09

Dangerous and stupid behaviour. I wouuldn't want them literally jailed, but house arrest (quarantine), yes!

lynsey91 · 24/09/2020 09:09

Makes me so angry that some people are so selfish and stupid.

My neighbour is waiting on the results of a test but his children have still been going to school (2 different schools). He went to work on Monday even though he asked his wife to book a test as he thought he might have it.

Not sure if she has been going to work or not although I hope not as she works in a care home but it wouldn't surprise me if she has

steppemum · 24/09/2020 09:12

But on the news, there have been a lot of people who said they contimued at work etc until the test result came in, so we must reinforce the message, it isn't getting through

Motorina · 24/09/2020 09:12

I hear stories like these and I have a certain sympathy for the Chinese welding people into their flats.

I mean not really. Sort of. Except the rules on this are so clear, and they put the health of those kids and their teachers at risk, and did harm to the financial stability of each of the families impacted. So, maybe we do need to toughen up enforcement.

trilbydoll · 24/09/2020 09:14

I thought track and trace was more joined up than that. So if I got a positive test, I thought they would notify dd's school. Am I giving the system too much credit?

movingonup20 · 24/09/2020 09:15

Hefty fine yes, jail no.

Though we need better enforcement of quarantine now, fines after the fact are useless. I noticed on Tuesday there were boys riding bikes around outside circa 12 years old, not something I've seen since school went back then in the local free paper yesterday I read that year 8 has been sent home to self isolate ... well the 6 or 7 outside currently aren't! It's only 9.15 and they are racing around. I'm guessing their parents are at work

seayork2020 · 24/09/2020 09:15

Don't you have to break an actual law in order to be jailed and not jail someone just because?

roses2 · 24/09/2020 09:16

Report her. Absolutely no way should she have sent her child to school after she had her positive result.

Candyflosscookie · 24/09/2020 09:19

@trilbydoll way, way, way too much credit. They can barely find half the contacts given to them never mind liaise with any other agencies.

BumbleFlump · 24/09/2020 09:19

Agree Pippioddstocking this is not going to go down well with anyone.

OP please come back and tell us what happened. Hope it hasn’t spread x

IrmaFayLear · 24/09/2020 09:20

Dominic Cummings behaved like an arsehole, but I would bet that 90% of people breaking rules have never heard of him.

I think some people just ignore laws anyway and so these Covid-prompted ones don’t compute either. Add to those the people who are just selfish.

Heard yesterday about a woman who went to a funeral abroad (with hundreds of mourners), returned and sent her dc to school a couple of days later. She had to confess when one of the kids was ill at school.

In China they nailed shut the doors of infected people. Seems like a plan...

OpenlyGayExOlympicFencer · 24/09/2020 09:22

90%, really? I doubt that, considering the data showing what the Cummings situation did to trust levels. It was a huge, huge story.

IrmaFayLear · 24/09/2020 09:24

I understand why track and trace is not working.

Person A receives text. Stays in until quarantine period has passed.

Person B receives text, looks at it and worries but has a job as a taxi driver and will lose income if isolates. Crosses fingers and carries on.

Person C just deletes text.

diavlo · 24/09/2020 09:31

Actually, I agree with the OP. He has put the lives, long term health, education and financial welfare of a whole community at risk. This is not trivial!!
It is utterly selfish and negligent behaviour and he deserves to be deal with using the justice system.

pastandpresent · 24/09/2020 09:32

Jailed, no. Fined, yes.