Children, if not taught well, may resort to small acts of dishonesty which will eventually escalate into bigger and more serious acts of crime when left to their own devices.
However, one father in China was recently praised for teaching his daughter a valuable lesson in honesty after he told her to “turn herself in” to police for stealing 800 yuan (RM510.90) to buy snacks.
10yo girl surrenders to police for stealing RM500 to buy snacks
According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the incident took place in Ningbo in Zhejiang province, China on Aug 22.
When the girl surnamed Zhang arrived at the police station, she was greeted by two officers named Jiang Huoming and Dong Zhuting, who asked her what she had done and why she came to the station.
She then revealed that she and a group of friends had plotted together in concocting and executing a plan to steal the 800 yuan, adding, “My dad told me to turn myself in.”
Zhang also told the officers that her family operates a convenience store selling snacks but she was prevented from buying them by her father due to his concerns for her health.
This then caused her to steal the money and have her classmates buy the snacks for her.
Wrote ‘letter’ promising to do better
Zhang’s father told Jiang and Dong that he immediately took her to the police station and had a private arrangement to show her the error of her ways when he discovered her plan.
If she takes money from home now, she will steal from others when she grows up. I don’t want my daughter to go down the path of crime.
Dong then made Zhang pen a promise letter as a sign of remorse for her actions. She obediently did so and came out with it 10 minutes later.
This was what she wrote in the letter:
I will no longer take my mum and dad’s money, and I will not deceive anyone. I will study diligently and stop playing during class. I will complete my homework on time every day.
The letter was later signed by Zhang and Dong, with Dong acting as the witness.
Zhang also apologised to her father and made a promise with Dong, saying, “We pinky swear that from today, we will work together to gradually correct our mistakes and uphold our promises. You will always be an honest kid with integrity.”
We hope Zhang learns her lesson and starts living as an honest person!
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