home office ministers take note. Now that Asbos are out of fashion, why not follow in the footsteps of Romanian businessman Edward Chirlacopaschi and send unruly teens to a forced labour camp?
The entrepreneur has come under criticism from child protection officials in eastern Europe by founding his own punishment camps in which miscreants are forced to endure 12 hours of gruelling physical labour, including digging ditches and building walls.
Mr Chirlacopaschi said he was offering the service because he was fed up with the poor behaviour of Romanian youths. Parents can send their children on the 10-day camp free of charge.
“I guarantee that all they will be able to do at the end of the day is sleep, because they will be exhausted,” said Mr Chirlacopaschi.
Sadly, Romanian children’s charities aren’t so convinced.
Simona Pela, a spokeswoman for the National Authority for Child Protection, said: “Forcing a young person to work is not good discipline. This kind of camp breaches a child’s right to rest, relaxation, play and expression of opinion.”
To which the only sensible response is, “And?”
