Question...

Rocky said:

I have a question for the moderators and others so informed in these matters...

if you are contacted through the website from a missing teen on amber alert as missing and endangered...

and she tells a story about being beaten bloody by her mother and thrown out of the house...

she is living with a kind old couple that is helping her heal, and doesn't want them in trouble when she contacts authorities...

she feels the only way she would be endangered is if she is dragged back home by the police...

how would you handle it?

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mysteriew said:

Advise her to take pictures of her injuries, and then to contact the Children's Protective Services in her area. The longer she stays underground, the more likely she will be returned to her parents, as it just looks like she is a JD running from her parents. The longer the couple keeps her hidden, the more likely they are to get into trouble. CPS is charged with the safety of kids like her, and they and LE will investigate her parents for abuse. (she may be reluctant, because CPS may already be involved with her parents, and she may not trust them as they left her in the home before).
The longer she waits, the more the bruises fade. She could also go for treatment at a hospital and they will take care of the pictures and notifying CPS. They also make good witnesses.

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http://www.jlc.org/home/mediacenter/factsheets/emancipUSA.html
Emancipation in the United States

Emancipation is not available in every state in the United States. Where it is available, emancipation is a legal process by which minors can attain legal adulthood before reaching the age at which they would normally be considered adults (this is called the "age of majority"). The rights granted to legally emancipated minors might include the ability to sign legally binding contracts, own property, and keep one's own earnings. However, each state has different laws governing emancipation and some states simply have no law or legal process concerning emancipation. In states where minors wishing to become legally emancipated will have to break new legal ground.

This page is designed to give minors information on the laws and available legal processes regulating emancipation in their state. The information is based on available state legal statutes and in some cases also includes information obtained from various legal aid organizations in that state. Some states have different legal terms for emancipation and can also differ in their definition of the rights granted to an emancipated minor.

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