Runaway youths give weight to comments

Press, 23 January 1988, Page 14

Runaway youths give weight to comments

Giving added weight to remarks by Judge Erber in the Children and Young Persons Court on January 8, when he expressed concern at a youth absconding from the Stanmore Boys’ Home, two of the youths at that court appearance absconded again yesterday after a further court remand.

Judge Erber had expressed his concern to the superintendent of the home, Mr David Hutchinson, who had been in court for the appearance of three boys from the

home on a burglary charge. He had drawn attention to instances of a youth absconding and then being charged with further offences, allegedly committed while on the run. The youngest of the three, aged 14, had appeared in court two days before, on January 6, on several car conversion charges. When Judge Erber made his remarks on January 8, one of the youths, aged 15,

absconded 1y 2 hours after his appearance in court. He was being returned to the boys’ home. The three youths appeared again yesterday on remand on the burglary charge and Judge Hattaway further remanded them in Social Welfare Department custody. Later, as they were being transferred from the Court to a vehicle to take them back to the boys’ home, two of the youths ran off.