code: public static Date parseToDateLenient(final String date, final String format,
  		final boolean lenient)
  	{
  		if (date == null || format == null || format.length() <= 0)
  		{
  			return null;
  		}
  		final DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat(format);
  		df.setLenient(lenient);
  		Date parsedDate = null;
  		try
  		{
  			parsedDate = df.parse(date);
  		}
  		catch (final ParseException e)
  		{
  			// ignore...
  		}
  		return parsedDate;
  	}
docs: Parses the String date to a date object. For example: USA-Format is : yyyy-MM-dd
  
  @param date
  The Date as String
  @param format
  The Format for the Date to parse
  @param lenient
  Specify whether or not date/time interpretation is to be lenient.
  @return The parsed Date or null.