Young voyager

The judge ruled that Dekker's personal development could be jeopardized by such a journey and that she now had to undergo court-ordered supervision in order to prevent her from fulfilling her dream.

The teen must now live under the supervision of not only her parents, but also a court-appointed guardian.

"The application for complete denial of custody is rejected and the young girl is to be assigned a guardian for the next two months," said the judge in the Dutch city of Utrecht. "During this period it will also be determined whether Laura is able to complete such a journey."

But the verdict is not the final word on Laura's dream to sail around the world. The young voyager now has two months to show a psychological expert from Amsterdam that she is mentally prepared to survive a solo circumnavigation of the globe.

Too dangerous?

The case has attracted worldwide attention over fears that such a formidable journey could have a negative effect on the development of such a young person.

Also, in the past there have been tragic accidents involving young, would-be record breakers, such as in 1996 when a 7-year-old American girl crashed her plane killing herself, her father and a flight instructor while trying to become the youngest person to fly across the United States.

Unusual decision

One unique aspect of the judge's ruling on this matter, though, is that guardians are usually only appointed in the Netherlands in cases of neglect or abuse, neither of which apply to Laura's case. Nor are her sailing abilities being questioned. Indeed the teenager appears to have a natural aptitude for the seas after being born on a ship in New Zealand.

The teenager wasn't present as the verdict was read out, but her lawyer commented: "We're happy that the solo trip hasn't been completely forbidden by the court. Laura is determined to sail around the world and now it'll be examined to see if she is capable of doing so."

In presenting his decision, the Dutch judge stressed that Laura's parents have in no way been neglectful and that the matter would be revisited in October. If the court eventually allows Laura to embark on the voyage, she could become the youngest person to ever achieve such a feat. Seventeen-year-old Briton Mike Perham currently holds the record, after it took him 157 days to return to his starting port in Southampton, England.

Author: Juergen Kleikamp/dfm

Editor: Rick Demarest