Published:August 23rd, 2011 16:25 EST

Mom Forces Her Son To Wear Shrek Ears And Hold A Thief Sign

"Residents of an Australian city said a mother forced her young son to sit in public wearing Shrek ears and a sign proclaiming him to be `a thief.`

Witnesses said the boy, who appeared to be about 10 years old, spent nearly an hour Sunday sitting near a Townsville water park wearing the ears and the sign while his family ate lunch nearby."

UPI

The UPI article doesn`t say what the boy stole, this makes it difficult to determine if the punishment fits the crime. There`s a big difference between stealing a cookie form a cookie jar and stealing money from his mother`s purse.

If the boy stole you can argue that it`s fitting and proper that he sit next to a sign proclaiming him to be a "thief." But why force the poor child to wear Shrek ears? It seems to me that the mother has psychological problems, and she enjoys humiliating her son. I find it difficult to comprehend how a mother can casually eat lunch while her child is enduring a horrible ordeal.

This boy will learn that stealing is wrong, unfortunately he will also learn that when he`s an adult and he wields a measure of authority that it`s OK to demean others.

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