‘Three of seven runaway minors return to Ruseifa juvenile centre’

AMMAN — Ministry of Social Development officials on Wednesday said three of the seven juveniles, who left a centre in Ruseifa a week ago without permission, have returned and a search for the remaining four is ongoing.

The seven minors from the Usama Bin Zeid Juvenile Centre in Ruseifa District, some 12km east of Amman, left last Wednesday without coordinating with the centre’s officials, Social Development Ministry Spokesperson Fawaz Ratrout told The Jordan Times.

The seven were serving time on charges of uprooting trees and robbery, he said.

“Our centres are open to the local community and juveniles can go to certain places after coordinating with the centre’s officials,” Ratrout explained.

Juveniles are allowed to leave the centre temporarily to attend major family events, go to hospital and medical centres, attend classes at vocational training centres, or go on trips, according to the ministry spokesperson.

“We have formed a committee to establish how the seven juveniles managed to leave the centre unnoticed,” he added.

Ratrout said the ministry and the centre officials have contacted the families of the juveniles to secure their return, adding that the centre also contacted the police to inform them about the absence of the four remaining juveniles.

“The juveniles are referred to our centres based on court orders and should serve the time they were sentenced,” he noted, adding that the centres house around 4,200 juveniles on a yearly basis.