The mother of a seven-year-old girl who appeared at school with neo-Nazi slogans written on her skin with permanent marker has asked a Canadian court to restore custody of the child and her two-year-old brother, saying she is a "good mother" who has tried to instill "pride" in her children.
Canadian law enforcement officials seized the girl after she arrived at school with a swastika, the words "Hail Victory" and "Aryan Pride" written on her arms and one leg in permanent maker, as well as the numbers"14/88." The number 14 refers to the number of words in the slogan: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children"; 88 stands for HH, an abbreviation for "Heil Hitler."
Child services officials say they are concerned the parent's conduct could endanger the emotional well-being of the children, and that the children could be at risk of harm because of the parent's associations. But legal experts say the legality of removing the children from their home is shaky at best. "I don't think teaching your children loathsome, intolerable, bigoted views counts as psychological abuse," said Prof. Arthur Schafer, director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba.