Girlfriend (17) wants to runaway and come to me (17)

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State: California | ZIP (For someone to please contact a non-emergency line to receive answers to my questions): *****

Hey,
I am looking to inquire as much information as possible regarding my situation. Currently, my girlfriend is in a very difficult position. She is going through depression and suicidal tendencies, her father is known to physically abuse her, and her mother tends to emotionally and mentally abuse her. They are moving out of state, and my girlfriend wants to run away to me before it's too late and she is dragged to a whole different state. We are both currently in the state of California and she wants to come be with me, and I am more than happy to let her stay here and take care of her for as long as need be. We are both 17 years old, and now Seniors in High School. My questions were:

- What can the police do to me in California if I allow her to come into my home the night she takes off?
- Will the Police even bother taking a report or searching for her?
- Considering her parents are abusive and she suffers from mental situations because of it, could she be forced to return home to them?
- What legal options does she have as a 17 Year Old runaway in the state of California?
- Based off her age, can she choose to remain with me as long as I can provide proof that I can take care of her and give her a safe home?
- Say she wants emancipation, can she choose to stay with me during the process of filing for that?

I desperately need the answers to these questions, and if it's possible for someone to contact a local non-emergency line for me to get the answers to any questions you may be unsure the answer for?

Like I mentioned, I am absolutely more than willing to take care of, provide shelter and food, and bring her to and from school daily to ensure her life gets collected back together. I want the best for her, and anything I can do I will to make sure she can be happy and safe without anymore worries.

Thank you all so much, and as much information as possible will be so much help to me.

[ccsmod6]

Hi there,
Thank you so much for reaching out to NRS. We are glad to see that you are seeking help when you need it. It takes a lot of courage to do so. We are very sorry to hear the situation that your girlfriend is in. No one deserves to be abused in any way by anyone. Thank you for wanting to help her out, it is very important for her to have a support person in her life.
You mentioned your girlfriend is thinking of running away due to the abuse going on at home. Again, we are very sorry to hear that. We are not legal experts here at NRS, but we do have basic knowledge on the issue. You want to know what the police can do to you if you allow her to come into your home when she runs away. As far as we know, if her parents file a runaway report, the police will be looking for her and you may get in trouble for harboring a runaway. You also asked if the police will even bother searching for her since she is 17; we have seen cases where it has been up to the officers’ discretion. Some officers may actively search for her since she is not yet 18, but others may consider her an adult already and not search. If she does get picked up by the police, they may take her to a station to question her about why she ran away. If she discloses that there is abuse at home, child protective services may get involved. If child protective services gets involved and they remove her from her parents’ custody, they may place her in a group home setting and not with you. Again, we are not legal experts here at NRS, but to our limited knowledge, if her parents give permission for her to live with you, there should be no problems with the police. If it is possible to go this route, it may be a good idea to have a written agreement with her parents and/or a witness you can trust. As far as emancipation, we know that it is a long process that can take many months to even get to court. We have included these websites that may help: http://www.lsc-sf.org/problems/emancipation.html http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp...cip/emanqa.htm
Again, thank you so much for reaching out to NRS. It takes a great amount of courage to want to help free someone from such a terrible situation. It is great to see that you are looking at your options to help your girlfriend and stay safe at the same time. If you would like to talk further about your situation, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or start a live chat with us online. We really hope we were able to sufficiently answer your questions. We wish you and your girlfriend the very best of luck and remember, we are here to listen, we are here to help.