When I was really young (going back a bit here
![Roll Eyes :rolleyes: :rolleyes:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
) bars south of the border here in Ireland where we spent our Summers didn’t have a cut-off point for having kids in. We were allowed to stay until closing with our parents. Hotels would have playgrounds that were always open, I remember playing in them until late in good weather when my parents would be having drinks outside.
Here in the North, we have bonfires on two main dates; either July or August depending on which side your bread’s buttered, and street parties go hand in hand with these. I remember running around the street at all hours with my friends, we looked forward to it every year because we got to stay out late, had a bit of freedom and we only had to go in when our parents decided to call it a night. We had to stay where they could see us and we didn’t have a play park in our area, but we were out until all hours. Sometimes we were allowed to venture off to the next street if a friend lived there, so long as we went in a group and were home for a certain time. Granted that was a long time ago
![Roll Eyes :rolleyes: :rolleyes:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
things certainly aren’t as relaxed these days... But there are different norms in different localities.
The park in Messines has low walls/fencing and doesn’t look like it’s able to be closed off to the public at any time. The parents could have been nearby keeping a casual eye on them... Probably thought that as it was a local festival, there were so many locals known to them around that would also be keeping an eye and notice if anything untoward happened. Not saying it’s right, it only takes one person to take advantage of the situation that one time. But if it was a yearly thing and they had no trouble before, they would have no reason to suspect and their guard would be down. Giving children a bit of leeway and not helicoptering them is a crucial part of their development, and it’s easier to do that when you assume there are other known adults around that are looking out for their welfare, too. They just didn’t expect a perv would be sitting under the playing frame with his trousers around his knees. In the pics there is a design blocking the bit under the frame from view, in the dark I’m sure he couldn’t be seen by those outside the park.