K-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes love... then comes the POLICE: 12-year-olds investigated for 'sex crime' after they kiss at school
Two 12-year-olds faced a police investigation for a sex crime after being caught kissing at
school.
Police were
called to a Florida elementary school after an assistant principal was told the
pair had exchanged a playground kiss.
But after
officers responded to the emergency call they declined the take any action
saying no offence had been committed.
Overreaction: Police are called in to Orange River Elementary School after two 12-year-olds are caught kissing
Now parents
have accused the school of over-reacting and taking political correctness
to a new level.
The
incident took place at Orange River Elementary School in Fort Myers, Florida.
According
to local reports two girls who had a crush on a boy were talking about which of
them liked him the most.
One of the
girls approached the boy and briefly kissed him.
A teacher
on duty noticed the kiss and reported it to the assistant principal Margaret
Ann Haring.
She said it
was a 'possible sex crime' and called social workers at the Florida
Department of Children and Families.
They told
her to report the matter to the Lee County Sheriff's office who responded by
sending deputies to the school.
After
talking with teachers no action was taken as no crime had been committed.
Haring told
deputies there is an ongoing involvement with DCF.
'They
went ahead and took a report and documented this because we don't know at this
point whether or not there is bigger picture that somebody needs to be looking
at,' said police spokesman Sgt Stephanie Eller.
Police investigation: Sgt Stephanie Eller of Lee
County Sheriff's office said deputies were sent to the school but the
kiss was not a sex crime
Sgt Eller
added that the kiss was not a sex crime.
'This
incident is more of a simple assault, though by definition there would have to
be a victim,' she said.
It is not
reported that the boy objected to being kissed.
The two
children involved in the kissing were spoken to by the school principal Holly
Bell.
She
said: 'Two girls were guessing who was each other's boyfriend.'
Parents at
the school believe the principal overreacted by calling police.
'How I
behaved when I was 12 and most of the kids that I knew, yes its
exploratory,' said parent John McDaniel.
'A
kiss between 12-year-olds, I would say is relatively harmless.'
Others
writing in the local newspaper were outrage by the police getting involved.
One
wrote: 'Whatever happened to common senses' while another
commented: 'Principal Margaret Ann Haring needs to be fired immediately.
'It is pretty obvious she is out of touch and clueless. Two little kids kissing
is a Sex Act? What an idiot.'
