To the editor: Apart from the obvious horror of the incidents described in this tale of teenage bullying and torture, these "parachute" kids represent the merging of a Dickens novel and a Marx Brothers movie. ("Adolescence in free fall," July 2)
Any parent who would send his or her child off alone to a foreign country — even if the intent is to obtain a better education or a better life for the child — has missed a few vital chapters in the book of parenting.
And any government department that allows this practice is hopelessly trapped in a tragic, slapstick comedy of incompetence.
If these young people are found guilty of the crimes of which they are accused, any plea bargain should include their expulsion from America — after they have served whatever lengthy time is meted out to them — with the proviso that they may never return.
Needless to say, this absurd program of unsupervised children must be brought to an immediate end.
Bart Braverman, Los Angeles
