Is it illegal to not tell if someone is running away?

[Guest]

I know someone who wants to run away from home they are 17 and they have told me they might run away. The place they want to run away to is out of country.Is it illegal for me to not tell their parents or the police that they might run away? I live in California if that helps with the legal issues.

[ccsmod1]

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out to us for help. It sounds like you are in a tough situation and you want to do the right thing. We are not legal experts, but we can give you some general information. In general, there is no law stating that anyone who hears someone is planning to run away is obligated to call the police. It can be pretty dangerous to run away, and it would be very difficult for a minor to run away to another country without being caught. If they do turn up missing, the police or their parents may question you. It is illegal to lie to the police if they ask you if you know about a missing person. You aren't breaking the law by not telling anyone, so it is up to you whether you think that is the right thing to do or not. If you aren't sure what to do and need someone to talk to, you could always call and we can talk through your options. We are here to help in any way we can. You could always give our number to the person who is thinking about running. We talk to people who want to run away all the time with the goal of keeping them safe and off the streets. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon, and wish you the best of luck.

[Guest]

I need help! I think my sister is about to run away but I'm not 100% sure but all the signs are there she's packing her back she's telling me that she's not doing anything wrong thing and she's always on the internet help me

[ccsmod3]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. It seems there is a lot that your sister is faced with right now and you’re wanting to find a way to help them as they may be wanting to run away. It’s great that your sister has support and concern from you especially since this time is quite difficult for them.
Having a space to vent and explore options may often bring out a solution previously not thought of. We are here as support to help you and your sister through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.
Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).
We’re here to listen and to help and hope you or your friend can reach out soon.
Take care,
NRS

[Guest]

Is it illegal if someone does run away and you knew that they wanted to for you to not say somthing if you aren't questioned? Couldn't that be considered withholding information

[ccsmod5]

Hi there,

Thank you for reaching out to us, we hope to help as best we can. We are not legal experts, but as far as we know there is not law stating that anyone who hears someone is planning to run away is obligated to call the police. It can be pretty dangerous to run away, and it would be very difficult for a minor to run away to another country without being caught. If they do turn up missing, the police or their parents may question you.
It is illegal to lie to the police if they ask you if you know about a missing person if you are questioned though. If you would like more accurate information pertaining to your state or police department we can help you find a legal aid in your area who may be more familiar with the law. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions.

Stay safe,
NRS