German Musician Fined For Letting His 4-Year-Old Son Sing With Him On Stage

A German folk singer has been fined for child labor after letting his 4-year-old son sing on stage with him.

Angelo Kelly, 39, was found guilty of child labor on Friday for allowing his son William to sing along with him in an open-air music concert in 2019. William, the youngest of Kelly's five children, sang "What a Wonderful World" during the show.

"During this performance, the child William stood for at least 30 minutes on the stage where he played along, sang along and interpreted his own song," the court said as per Associated Press. "This is considered work by the Youth Labor Protection Act."

Kelly was fined $3,600 by the court for violating Germany's strict child labor laws. Under German law, children aged between 3 to 6 can only take part in musical performances with official approval. The law allows children to perform for up to two hours a day, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. William however appeared on stage until 8:20 p.m. for the event, authorities said.

Kelly, who is well-known in Germany, said he would appeal the court's decision, according to a report from ABC News.

"As a father, the well-being of my children is my most important! William was and is not obliged to perform with us at any time at our shows. If he did, it's just because he wanted to," Kelly wrote on his Facebook page.

"We legally consider the verdict wrong. In our opinion, the scope of the Youth Workers' Protection Act is not open. It's far away that an entertaining stage visit in the presence of the mother and the siblings at a concert of their own father with a small, spontaneous and voluntary musical activity should constitute," Julian Ackerman, Kelly's attorney, responded to the verdict.

In general, children below the age of 15 may not be employed in Germany, except in minor jobs like carrying out newspapers, babysitting and taking care of pets which do not involve uncomfortable postures, dangers from animals or machinery or lifting heavy objects.

Additionally, such activities should not interfere with their attendance at school. Minors are also not allowed to be employed in dangerous occupations with exposure to heat, cold, noise, radiation and chemicals.