Dutch 13-Year-Old Denied Shot at Record-Breaking Sail

LONDON, Aug. 28, 2009 — -- A Dutch court has taken temporary custody of a 13-year-old girl to prevent her from going on a solo sailing trip around the world.

The court in Utrecht ruled that more research must be conducted to determine whether Laura Dekker is physically and mentally ready to set sail on her endeavor. If so, she could become the youngest ever to circumnavigate the globe.

"The court order is to continue the research into Laura's case for the next two months, until October 26th," Esther Kolver, of the Dutch Council for Child Protection, told ABC News. "For eight weeks, the court will share custody of Laura with her father."

The girl was thrust into the spotlight when she sailed to England by herself and was stopped from sailing back by the British port authority. According to the Guardian newspaper, police were called to a library in the port of Lowestoft on May 2 after being told she was in the country alone.

Dekker was placed in a foster home for a night after her father initially refused a request to come to Britain and escort his daughter home, the newspaper reported. The father told police his daughter was capable of sailing back alone, but eventually relented and agreed to fly to Britain to accompany Laura on the sail back to the Netherlands.

Then, Laura's father tried to take her out of school for two years for the solo journey. "The office for compulsory schooling reported that to child services," Richard Bakker, a spokesman for Dutch Council for Child Protection, told ABC News.

Finally, when Dekker tried to set sail on her world tour, the state moved quickly to stop her.

"Laura is a child and we know that psychologically the brain of a 13-year-old child is not matured; it is developing at this moment," Bakker said. "And what is standing in the way is this wish that Laura has, which we believe her father is at this point giving into too easily, to go sailing for two years."

Laura was born onboard a boat while her parents were on their own journey around the world. Laura lived in the boat until the age of four, and apparently has been sailing on her own since the age of six.