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When I first read that a mother in Georgia allowed her 10-year-old son to get a tattoo, I thought, WTF. A tattoo, people! On a 10-year-old! Then I discovered that the tattoo is actually in memory of the boy’s older brother, Malik, who was hit and killed by a teenage driver at age 12.
The 10-year-old, Gaquan, was with his brother when he died. That was a couple of years ago now, but he recently told his mom, Chuntera Napier, that he wanted to get a tattoo as a way of honoring Malik’s memory. (Gaguan has several tattoos of her own in her late son’s memory.)
“My son came to me and said, ‘Mom, I want to get a tattoo with Malik on it, rest in peace.’ What do I say to a child that wants to remember his brother?” Napier said.
She claims she didn’t know it was illegal for a 10-year-old to get a tattoo, and so she took her son to a tattoo artist, who gave the boy a tattoo featuring Malik’s old jersey number. As Napier explained, “It made me feel good to know that he wanted his brother on him.”
Gaquan then returned to school, where someone noticed his new ink and called authorities. Napier is now facing child cruelty charges. (It’s illegal for anyone under 18 to get a tattoo, even with their parent’s consent.)
“We hope that they can find something that can sustain them through that loss, but this is not the way. It is illegal and it’s something that we were bound by the law to investigate and to prosecute,” said Acworth police chief Mike Wilkie. (They’re also investigating the tattoo artist.)
I don’t think there’s ever justification for permanently inking a child, though my heart just breaks for this family who suffered such a tragic loss. Napier is set to appear in court in March.
(Photo: iStockphoto)
This has “trash mom” all over it. I saw the pic, the kid looks “gangsta”.
There is nothing cute about allowing your 10 year to get a tattoo. Only a complete fool thinks this a good idea. And I don’t believe for a moment that this was the kid’s idea. Mom wanted her kid tattooed.
Kids have crazy impulses and interests all the time. Parents usuallly don’t and shouldn’t indulge them. But this luggan mom thought it was fine to have her boy permanently tattooed.
At the least, it’s extremely poor parently judgement and at the worst, she’s a really bad mother whose mental state needs to be addressed. This kid is headed for trouble and social services need to investigate.
No excuse for this. None at all. And people, particularily from the left, need to stop excusing what is obviously bad behaviour. But of course, you can’t talk about this because it violates people’s rights…
Another example of the social decay that has our society circling the toilet.
ithink, tht the mother was right for allowin her 10 year old to get a tatoo in mmemory of his brother, it’s her child an it was something he relly wanted. although it bein illgal is also a big deal. they cnt jus change the law of the state just b/c she didnt kno it was illegal. she should have looked in to it. but as annie said the artis should take some resonsiblity for it to. if the law was different then idnt see wat the big deal is, but its still a law an we have to follow it or face the consequences. now as for wat she should get as a sentnce shouldnt be hardly anything b/c she didnt kno. an if they are serious about tht law then they should’ve made it more out to the public… police expect you to kno every law in state but they dnt support enough of each one for us to kno everyone of them…
MANE THAT IS HER CHILD IF SHE FEEL LIKE HE READY TO GET A TATTOO THEN THAT HER DECISION AND NO BODY ELSE SO FUCK THE POLICE
I agree it was bad judgment but when you lose a child and your morning the loss sometimes things are a little hazy.. She just does not deserves to be locked up for this. I believe counseling my help but locking her up is not going to.. To take the mother a way from a child is wrong.
Just to be clear, this kid is 10, not 16. Kind of a big difference there. As well, I think it’s easy for a parent not to know all the laws surrounding tattoos/piercing (though I agree she didn’t show the best judgement), but what about the tattoo artist? My older sister was denied by a tattoo artist because she was only 17 and didn’t have parental consent (16 with consent is legal where we grew up in Canada). So the tattoo artist refused her, since he knew it was illegal. I think this tattoo artist is just as culpable as the mother, although I don’t think criminal charges are necessary.
26 days ago
[...] some states do allow minors to receive a tattoo with parental consent. So when I heard today about the 10 year old who recently received a tattoo, I was pretty taken aback. When I found out why he wanted the tattoo, I could at least [...]
The worst part is… his tattoo is going to look like crap when he’s an adult. He’ll be bigger and his skin will stretch out the design…
Did the author of this article do ANY research whatsoever? It is absolutely legal for under-18s to get tattoos with parental consent – in some states.
Hi Bekah. You are absolutely right: some states do allow tattoos for the under-18 set, but Georgia – where this particular mother and child live – isn’t one such state. Over there it’s illegal, even with a parent’s consent.
Ok I think it is bad judgement on the mothers behalf, but being a mother that has lost a child I understand. My 5 year old asked me if she could get a tattoo of her brother like her father, cousin and myself I told her that if she still wanted it when she was older i would get it for her. This is at his own will He will still want this tattoo in 20 years so why not. Because He’s a kid right?! OK if this same 10 year old would have killed his neighbor I bet the police would want to charge him as an adult!!!!!!!
Where I live at 16 you can get a tattoo, with parental consent of course. And it’s not unheard of. I know a 17 year old with a tattoo in memory of her father and she got it the day she turned 16. It’s not child abuse to let a boy get a tattoo in memory of his brother. The mother probably should have waited until he son was 16 though.
I must say – where I am from. Your allowed to get a tattoo at age 16.
Honestly its not like he got a band name or some silly picture, he got something to remember his brother.
There is things in the world that deserve far much more attention then this.
This is ridiculous. Bad parenting decision at best but seriously, illegal? She should have just explained that tattoos are permanent and that he needed to wait until he was of age.