SURREY: In a parenting drama that’s honestly hard to believe, a mum from the UK got arrested for taking away her daughters’ iPads. Yep, you read that right.
Vanessa Brown, a 50-year-old history teacher from Cobham, decided to do the usual mum thing and confiscate her kids’ iPads after a disagreement. What followed? She was reported to the police and arrested — for supposedly “stealing” the devices.
Turns out, her ex-husband wasn’t too happy with her parenting style and called the cops, claiming the iPads were stolen. Next thing she knew, police officers showed up at her doorstep and arrested her like she was some kind of criminal. All for taking away gadgets from her own children.
Vanessa says the whole thing was completely traumatising. “I was just being a mum,” she told The Guardian. “Setting some rules. Instead, I ended up in a police cell.”
The police did eventually release her with no charges, but the damage was done. She’s now left questioning how something so normal turned into a legal mess.
People online and in real life are scratching their heads too. Since when did parenting get so complicated? Legal experts say shared custody situations can get messy, but arresting a parent for discipline? That’s a whole new level.
Vanessa’s story has definitely got people talking — especially other parents who’ve probably taken away a phone or tablet at least once. “If this can happen to me,” she says, “it could happen to anyone.”
