Police on the hunt for three escaped youths
Bonnytoun is a Child and Youth Care Centre was established under the Children’s Act of 2005 and the Child Justice Act of 2008. Picture: Patrick Louw/Independent Media Bonnytoun is a Child and Youth Care Centre was established under the Children’s Act of 2005 and the Child Justice Act of 2008. Picture: Patrick Louw/Independent Media
Cape Town – Social Development MEC Albert Fritz visited one of the injured officials from the Bonnytoun Secure Care Centre who was attacked by a group of 31 boys as they tried to escape over the weekend.
Bonnytoun is a Child and Youth Care Centre (CYCC) established under the Children’s Act of 2005 and the Child Justice Act of 2008. The CYCC is operated by the Department of Social Development (DSD).
The visit came two days after the care staff at the CYCC sustained injuries when assaulted by the boys, in a bid to abscond.
Although operations at the Bonnytoun Secure Care Centre have returned to normal, three boys remain unaccounted for, with the police leading the investigation into their whereabouts.
DSD spokesperson Sihle Ngobese said that the department had allocated R284 million this financial year to fund a growing network of 61 CYCCs across the province operated by the department and NGO partners.
"We have implemented norms and standards for all facilities, and therapeutic programmes are rendered to sentenced children with severe behaviour problems."
He added that the children and the therapeutic and counselling services provided to them, were distinctly separate to children placed at facilities due to being deemed at-risk children.
Ngobese said that Fritz will be meeting up with officials this week to discuss issues around safety and security.
“He takes this incident very seriously because not only was the staff in danger, but the other juveniles as well.”