"Time out? I'll see you in court!" Shocking stories of children who've sued their parents

There are many strange lawsuits out there in the world, but perhaps the most surprising are the cases where children sue their parents. Unless there has been some terrible abuse, it just seems wrong...no matter how much you dislike your mother and father.

However, not everyone sees it that way. Some children have no qualms about taking their parents to court, even over ridiculous issues. Join us for a look at some of the most surprising cases of children filing lawsuits against their parents--some of these cases will make your jaw drop!

First up, we need to discuss the most pathetic  case. A man filed a lawsuit against his parents for destroying "adult" videos he left in their house.

Yes, really. Rather than be embarrassed about his parents finding his little "collection," 43-year-old David Werking of Michigan decided to take his parents to court for destroying his personal property.

In 2017, Werking lived with his parents for just under a year following his divorce. Later, he moved out and asked his parents to send him his personal effects.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

However, when he received his belongings, he noticed something very important to him was missing. None other than 12 boxes of adult videos and two boxes of "intimate" toys.

The average grown-up would not even dare to ask their aging parents if they've seen the whereabouts of such personal belongings; however, David, it seems, has no such boundaries. In what must have been a VERY awkward conversation, Werking asked his parents about the missing items.

According to court records, Werking's father responded by email that he did not have the videos in question. He also went on to write, “It has either been destroyed or disposed of. I may well have missed a few items that are now in your possession but, at this point, if you don’t have it, it is gone. Ditto for your s*x toys and smutty magazines.”

Photo by Amy Shamblen on Unsplash

Werking's father told his son he destroyed and disposed of the items for the benefit of his son's mental health. David was obviously very upset over losing his prized items so in 2019, he filed a lawsuit over the issue.

Photo by Icons8 Team on Unsplash

USA Today reported that Werking provided the court with a detailed list of the destroyed items, which included at least 50 intimate toys and “paraphernalia” along with 1,605 DVDs and VHS tapes.

The adult video collection was evaluated by an expert and given a value of $30,441.54.

David and his attorney argued that the majority of his collection was irreplaceable, and the judge ruled in David Werking's favor. Mom and Dad had to pay up. The judge ordered David's parents to pay their son $30k in damages plus $14,519.82 for their son's attorney fees. Ouch!

In a statement to the Associated Press, the judge who ruled on the case said, “There is no question that the destroyed property was David’s property. The defendants repeatedly admitted that they destroyed the property.”

So parents, be warned, when your children go off to college, DO NOT destroy any dirty videos or magazines you find lurking under the bed or in the closet....it could cost you!

Next, we have probably THE most absurd child-parent lawsuit EVER. David Werking's case is perhaps the most embarrassing, but Raphael Samuel's case against his parents takes the cake.

Note: the photos of Raphael Samuel are all taken from his Instagram account where he promotes the anti-natalism movement.

Photo: Instagram@nihilanand000

Raphael Samuel is an Indian businessman who resides in Mumbai. He identifies as an anti-natalist and believes that everyone should stop procreating. In an interview with the BBC, Mr. Samuel said that children should not be brought into the world due to the lifelong suffering they must endure.

Photo: Instagram@nihilanand000

Raphael explained his reasoning further to the BBC, "There's no point to humanity. So many people are suffering. If humanity is extinct, Earth and animals would be happier. They'll certainly be better off. Also, no human will then suffer. Human existence is totally pointless."

Photo: Instagram@nihilanand000

While Raphael does recognize that it is impossible to consent to being born, he is firm in his belief that since "it was not our decision to be born," so we should be financially compensated for the rest of our lives. Ummm....what??!!

Photo: Instagram@nihilanand000

So, one day Raphael concluded that the best course of action would be to sue his parents over being born. According to the BBC, in 2019, Mr. Samuel told his mother he would be taking her to court over his mere existence. According to Raphael, his mother had a very reasonable reaction, "She said that's fine, but don't expect me to go easy on you. I will destroy you in court."

Photo: Instagram@nihilanand000

When the BBC reported this case in 2019, Raphael had not yet found a lawyer willing to take on his case. We have not been able to find any further news on whether or not he made it to court and what the outcome was. Perhaps, it was all a publicity stunt? Maybe, according to the BBC Mr. Samuel said, "I know it's going to be thrown out because no judge would hear it. But I do want to file a case because I want to make a point."

Photo: Instagram@nihilanand000

It appears that Raphael Samuel has the most patient parents in the world because despite his claims, he actually still gets along with both of his parents, who surprisingly happen to be lawyers. In a statement to the BBC, Mr. Samuel's mother said, "I must admire my son's temerity to want to take his parents to court knowing both of us are lawyers. And if Raphael could come up with a rational explanation as to how we could have sought his consent to be born, I will accept my fault."

Photo: Instagram@nihilanand000

So, we have covered the most embarrassing and absurd, and now we have the "scariest" case of a child suing their parents. It all started in 2008 when a Canadian father caught his 12-year-old daughter breaking the household internet rules.

The girl's father, divorced from her mother, had shared custody of the child. The father had forbidden his daughter from visiting certain websites and posting any inappropriate pictures of herself online. These are all reasonable rules that most parents would agree with.

However, CBC News reported that one day, the father caught his daughter breaking both rules. As a result, she was grounded for three days and not allowed to attend her class's graduation trip to Quebec City, even though her mother had given her permission to do so.

The 12-year-old was very upset by her punishment and felt that it was unfair, so she contacted a legal-aid lawyer assisting in her parents' custody battle. The girl asked the lawyer to help and take on her case so that she could go on her trip.

Photo: by Engin Akyurt on Pixabay

The legal-aid lawyer accepted the case, and the father and daughter went to court to battle out her punishment. In the end, the court ruled in the girl's favour, saying that the punishment was too harsh. While his daughter went on her school trip, the father appealed the decision out of principle. His appeal was denied.

Unsurprisingly, the girl then went to live with her mother. The prosecuting attorney on the case, Lucie Fortin, released a statement saying that seeking out a court order to overturn the father's decision was a last resort.

Fortin went on to say that in reality, it was an issue between the parents that the child only asked the court to intervene because she was affected by it. According to CBC News, the appeals court stated that the ruling should NOT be seen as an open invitation for children to take their parents to court when grounded.

According to CBC News, Kim Beaudoin, the defense attorney, told the media that her client (the father) was "flabbergasted." Beaudoin went on to say, “We went from a child who wanted to live with her father, and after all this has been done, they’re not speaking anymore."

Beaudoin went on to say that by ruling against the father, the Quebec court system had lost a degree of moral authority, "Is this what we want in our society? Laws are supposed to reflect our values. And if the courts aren't reflecting that, maybe the government will, to prevent children from going this way." It certainly is scary; parents in Canada be warned!

Photo: Screenshot, CBC News