Section 17
of Children and Young Persons Act
Section 17
(1)
Any protector or police officer who is satisfied on reasonable grounds that a child or young person is in need of protection may without warrant and with such assistance by such force as is necessary, by day and by night, enter any premises in which the child or young person is to be found take him into temporary custody and commit him to a place of safety, unless such protector or police officer is satisfied that the taking of proceedings in relation to such child or young person is undesirable in his best interests or that proceedings are about to be taken by some other person.
(2)
Subject to section 18, every child or young person taken into temporary custody under subsection (1) shall be brought before a Juvenile
Court within 3 working days of his being so taken.
Children and Young Persons
B.L.R.O. 6/2012 19
(3)
If for any reason it is not possible for the child or young person to be brought before a Juvenile Court within the time specified in subsection (2) —
(a)
the protector or police officer (as the case may be) shall, within 3 working days of the taking of the child or young person, inform the Juvenile Court of such taking and the reason for which it was not possible to comply with subsection (2); and
(b)
the Juvenile Court may make such order as the circumstances may require in relation to the custody, charge and care of the child or young person until such time as he may be brought before the Juvenile Court.
(4)
If a child or young person is placed in a place of safety under subsection (3), the person in charge of that place of safety shall have the like control of that child or young person as his guardian and shall be responsible for his maintenance, and he shall continue in the care of such person notwithstanding that he is claimed by his guardian or by any other person.
(5)
Any person who takes a child or young person into temporary custody under this section shall forthwith —
(a)
cause the guardian of the child or young person to be notified of such taking; and
(b)
if such person is a police officer, notify a protector of such taking.
Child or young person in need of medical examination or treatment.