Stealing Dilemma

The other day one of my friend, whom I am going to call Mistletoe called me upset because she just got in a fight with her husband and her fifteen year old son. Apparently, she had one of her son's cousins (her husband brother son) over for Christmas and New Year and he stole her son PSP. For those of you whom do not know what a PSP is, here is the link , to show you how it looks. She said at the time when it first came out, it was about $200 dollars, now it is about $100 or maybe less. It came out in like 2005, and her son has not played with it for like two years now. She said this was not the first time this cousin has stole from her son. Apparently the same year she bought the PSP, he stole it then. When he gave it back he said he did it because " he is jealous of her son" So this is a second offense. So I ask her, how did she know that it was stolen. To which she replies " she saw it in his luggage, but she was not sure. Her son and the cousin both have a PSP, except her son have a NFL sticker on the back of his. And sure enough, there was an NFL sticker on the back of the one in the luggage" So she ask her son to look for his PSP and he could not find it. She tells her husband and her son that the cousin stole the PSP. And they get angry with her, making her out to be the bad guy! Her son says "I dont play with it anymore, why are you so upset, you dont want me to have any cousins to hang out with" Her husband say " Mistletoe, you know he comes from a bad nieghborhood give him a break, its ok..Plus he does not even play with that game anymore, it just sit on the shelf and collect dust" They both make her feel like she is wrong to be upset about someone, FAMILY, coming in her home and stealing. Her husband makes it into a your family vs my family thing. Now Mistletoe is very upset saying " I dont want him to come over anymore if he is going to steal, or let me reserve the right to pat him down every time he leaves." So, her son calls the cousin and of course ,he does not answer the phone. She tells me he called like three days later saying " he did not know he had it, it must of fell in, and if you going to call me a thief, I AM NOT coming OVER anymore!" Now, both her son and her husband is upset with her. What should she do???

My Thoughts

I think its the worst thing in the world to steal. But its far worst to steal from FAMILY. He could of ask Mistletoe or her son for the game. And he is 15, old enough to know better. No excuses. I understand, her son wants to hang out with his family but if a person steals from you... Do they really love you?? I dont know!! I can be distrusting of people by nature and once you lost my trust, its hard to get back. I could not let someone, even family, back in my house, once they stole from me twice.

As the old saying goes " Fool me once, shame on you, Fool me twice, shame on me!!"

Is Mistletoe over reacting?? Do you agree with her son and husband, since its not being used, its okay to take it. Some how, its not as bad? Should Mistletoe, just forgive the cousin and move on?? What should she do?? What should be the punishment for this crime?? Should he never be allowed to come over? Get the Pat down?? Should he be punished??