Drink driving youth gets off scott free claiming “Affluenza”

Could Affluenza be the next plague to take over the world?

An enormous precedent was set in an American court yesterday when a rich teen in Texas was spared jail time after driving drunk and causing a crash that killed four people.  The Attorney for the 16 year old, Ethan Couch, claimed that he has a condition they called “Affluenza”.  That is, that he has wealthy dysfunctional parents who never set limits for him.

A news report on CNN quoted the courtroom activity saying, “He was the product of an affluent but totally dysfunctional home, where he was never given supervision or taught the meaning of consequences for his actions”.  The psychologist who was brought to the stand to testify in his favour coined the term “Affluenza”.

The psychologist on the stand made such a successful argument that the boy was released to a facility where he can be given intense therapy away from his parents to “teach him to be a responsible citizen”.

Now I don’t  know about you, but I think this sets an enormous precedent in the world that allows people of any ilk to blame wealth and apathy for not being responsible for their actions. I can’t imagine what the world will look like in five years time if Affluenza catches on round the world.  It could be a disease that takes over courtrooms and jails everywhere.

I want to hear your thoughts on this today…