An 18-year-old girl Rachel Canning is suing her parents for
support claiming she was abandoned by them after she
turned 18. She also claimed her parents were behind her
bulimia and that her father showed her 'inappropriate
affection', UK Daily Mail reports
Rachel Canning (left) turned up to Morris County
Court, New Jersey, yesterday dressed in her school
uniform and pearls for the first hearing in her
sensational case against her parents (right) who she
claimed 'abandoned' her and owe her money. But
her hopes were dampened when Judge Peter
Bogaard read an expletive-laden and vicious
answerphone message left by Rachel, from Lincoln
Park, New Jersey, to her mother, Elizabeth, and
said: 'Have you ever in your experience seen such
gross disrespect for a parent? I don't see it in my
house.'
Rachel with her dad and mum when the going was good
Rachel, who is suing her parents for 'abandoning' her has
made sensational claims that her mom calling her 'fat' and
'porky' led to her suffering bulimia and that her former
police chief father dad used to get her drunk and kiss her
inappropriately. The judge denied any immediate claim for
cash and adjourned to a later date - but warned her there
appeared to be insufficient evidence to support her claims
so far.
The judge added: 'what is the next step...are we going to
open the gates for a 12-year-old to sue for an Xbox, a 13-
year-old to sue for an iPhone... what about a 15-year-old
asking for a 60 inch TV?' Her mother and father, Sean,
broke down in court as details of how their family was
torn apart were read out.
The judge today blasted Rachel for being disrespectful to
her parents. When Judge Peter Bogaard read an expletive-
laden and vicious answerphone message left by Rachel to
her mother, Elizabeth, in which the girl said: 'I wanna
s*** all over your face', he said: 'Have you ever in your
experience seen such gross disrespect for a parent? I don’t
see it in my house.’
The judge, sitting at Morris County court added that
Rachel had given her mom and dad, Sean: ‘The proverbial
f you’. He also warned he must consider the 'slippery slope'
where 'we open the gates for a 12-year-old to sue for an
Xbox, a 13-year-old to sue for an iPhone… what about a
15-year-old asking for a 60 inch TV?'
Rachel, who is suing her parents for ‘abandoning’ her has
made sensational claims that her mom calling her ‘fat’ and
‘porky’ led to her suffering bulimia and that her former
police chief father dad used to get her drunk and kiss her
inappropriately.
In shocking legal documents submitted to the court, the
honor-roll student said her parents’ behavior contributed to
her developing an eating disorder at a young age and saw
her weight plummet down to 92 pounds.
Rachel, who has two younger sisters moved in with the
parents’ of a friend and is now suing for child support,
medical bills, college expenses and legal fees.
She states that her parents have a combined yearly income
of between $250,000 and $300,000 and she is entitled to
$654-a-week in child support. Her parents have also
refused to pay $6,000 owed in school fees for her
Catholic High School.
Her parents claim their daughter ran off to stay with
friends when she turned 18 because she refused to abide by
rules they had set down, including to stop dating her
boyfriend.
But today the judge clearly took a dim view of the
lawsuit. He said: ‘What kind of parents would the
Canning’s be if they didn’t try to set down some strict
rules?
‘I’m not going to put myself in anyone’s shoes, he’s
(father Sean) trying to raise a child. It’s clear to me all the
positive qualities Rachel obviously has, in terms of sports
and academics, but I’m not going to step on a father for
how he tries to get his child on the right tracks when she
has obviously come off the tracks, to put it mildly.’
When summing up later he denied all immediate financial
claims, including monthly maintenance, private school
payments and legal fees.
Summing up, Judge Bogaard said: ‘The court was called
upon to find whether immediate financial relief was
needed… It is not necessary….
‘We have to ask ourselves, do we want to establish a
precedent where parents live in constant fear of enforcing
the basic rules of the house. If they set a rule a child
doesn’t like, the child can move out, move in with
another family, seek child support, cars, cell phone and a
few hundred grand to go to college.
‘Counsel, also needs to ask themselves, what is the next
step…. Are we going to open the gates for a 12-year-old
to sue for an Xbox, a 13-year-old to sue for an iPhone…
what about a 15-year-old asking for a 60 inch TV….
‘I want both counsels to think of the potential slippery
slope here.’
He added: ‘I think everyone needs to take a step back and
realize this family and Rachel in particular is well worth the
effort to salvage or attempt to.
Source: Daily Mail
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