Anyone here from Youth Offenders? Please can I have your advice?

[SandraDea]

I have a voluntary interview coming up for my DS 13. He was caught on CCTV trying to steal a bike in the town centre.

He was using a pen knife he took off his dads desk that morning to try and cut through the bike lock.

This happened over 3 weeks ago, one of the PC’s who brought him back that night phoned us a week or so ago apologising for the delay in arranging the voluntary interview as he was still ‘gathering information’. We are still waiting to get this over with.

My son has complex needs, both in and outside of school we suspect he has PDA - Which comes under the autuistic spectrum. He has a younger brother who has a diagnosis of ASD and his dad is chronically ill.

Is this relevant? Is this bad enough to go to court? Presumably we’ll be referred to YOS. Anyone here from YOS have any idea of what the consequences may be? We are worried sick the stress is making his dad worse.

Hi Op, it does really depend on where you are currently living as to what the outcome might be, what offences are they looking at? Possess an offensive weapon and attempt theft? Or just the attempt theft element.
Some areas have a Youth Panel, Leeds being one of these www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Leeds%20Youth%20Panel.pdf
This enables offences to be dealt with out of court with an out of court disposal with a package of work then delivered by the YOS as diversionary work and takes all you have mentioned into consideration
However this isn’t on offer throughout the UK as it is currently piloted in many areas.
Many Solictors are up to date with their knowledge of young people and the process so you might be worth speaking to one and seeing what the process is locally to you

Also might be worth getting in touch with the worker who worked with him last time from YOS, just saw your other post re the previous incident?

Ok thank you both for your advice

I guess I can also contact the duty solicitor who we saw last time, and yes I’ll check with his Dad if he has contact details of the previous people met from YO. I wasn’t at that particular meeting his Dad took him.