Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Swiss girl loses two-year legal battle against 90 minute after-school detention

The unnamed pupil found herself in trouble for skiing down a forbidden run during a school trip to the Klosters resort

Charlotte McDonald-Gibson
Tuesday 20 August 2013 13:14 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A Swiss schoolgirl who went to extraordinary lengths to escape detention has had her appeal against the 90-minute punishment thrown out by the courts.

The unnamed pupil’s two-year battle began in March 2011 when the 14-year-old found herself in trouble for skiing down a forbidden run during a school trip to the Klosters resort. She and four friends were ordered to attend an after-school detention, but the girl failed to show up.

School officials contacted her parents in the hope that they would press her to attend. But instead they sided with their daughter and challenged the disciplinary action. The school board and the educational department in Grisons rejected the parents’ plea and said the pupils should have followed instructions regardless of whether they had knowingly disobeyed the orders or found themselves off-limits by accident, the Swiss newspaper, Tages Anzeiger, reported.

The family took their case to the local administrative court, which also turned them down, and finally asked for a hearing at the Supreme Court in Lausanne. The court threw the case out and in its ruling, made in July and published on Monday, ordered the parents to pay 2,000 francs (£1,387) in costs.

As the teenager has now left the school in question, she will no longer have to serve the detention.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in