Your sarcasm doesn't work well proto
Well honestly, I never considered that side story seriously, even if it is "canon". As you say, even 15-16 years old kids would have hard time to travel alone sometimes, so a grade schooler is basically suicide (as she isn't even sent to an acquaintance whatsoever).
Edit, Sheba: oh yeah, big time. It would be scary if she was sent to Paris. Somehow, Japanese are really too daydreaming about France, despite even the language has nothing that charming (spare me the usual crappy "langue de banlieu" and the rest..OTZ)