(Edit July 24th.)
July 24th: A few minutes ago we received the following update on this boy from Liz at MERCY in Pattaya:
"Bad news, I'm afraid. we're really upset because we've just heard that 'Dah' has been sentenced, with his grandfather present, to 2 1/2 years imprisonment. We don't have the details except that he was caught in possession of drugs, and has done 'something bad' whilst in custody - whatever that means.
Sudjai is now in Bangkok I understand, and then is going to Cambodia, but according to Suky it means we now can't do anything for 'Dah' except visit him and attend when the community does the Monthly Activities programme at the prison.
I'm so upset - totally frustrated. How can this happen???
Sorry to vent, but the thought of him now being transferred to a place with older, bigger and more hardened kids, really bothers me.
Suky will find out the details as soon as Khun Sudjai is free to talk to her, and maybe we'll be able to throw some more light on a very dark subject.
I think it's time to go home and drown my sorrows..."
-------------
For the purposes of not identifying the boy his name has been changed for this post:
During the school holidays on of our 14 year old students disappeared 'off our radar' and we heard that he had been arrested. The boy who was being cared ...for by his grandmother had never given any indication of being the type of boy to get himself into problems so it was a surprise to us all. Eventually after a month of inquiries and trying to locate the boy he was eventually found in a youth prison where he had been for three months without a visitor.
This report from Liz at MERCY gives an insight into the problems that kids who do get into trouble are faced with:
=======================================
When Suky accompanied the team to the Youth Prison last Friday, she and Sudjai were able to locate 'Dah'. As you can see from the photograph he looks sad and scared. He has been there for three months and had no visitors at all in that time.
We will try to find out what/when the visiting hours are and visit. His case hasn't come to court yet, and we have asked that we be informed when the date is given so that we may have Suky and/or Sudjai there to speak for him - so they know that someone is 'in his corner' and can give any support needed. Currently, he is with the 'youngsters', but if he is sentenced he will go in with older, tougher boys, and we want to prevent that if we can. He's just so vulnerable.
However, we need to know why he did what he did - peer pressure, a dare, financial necessity...we just don't know at this point. When we can find this out it may give us direction to go in to be able to help him, hopefully.
July 24th: A few minutes ago we received the following update on this boy from Liz at MERCY in Pattaya:
"Bad news, I'm afraid. we're really upset because we've just heard that 'Dah' has been sentenced, with his grandfather present, to 2 1/2 years imprisonment. We don't have the details except that he was caught in possession of drugs, and has done 'something bad' whilst in custody - whatever that means.
Sudjai is now in Bangkok I understand, and then is going to Cambodia, but according to Suky it means we now can't do anything for 'Dah' except visit him and attend when the community does the Monthly Activities programme at the prison.
I'm so upset - totally frustrated. How can this happen???
Sorry to vent, but the thought of him now being transferred to a place with older, bigger and more hardened kids, really bothers me.
Suky will find out the details as soon as Khun Sudjai is free to talk to her, and maybe we'll be able to throw some more light on a very dark subject.
I think it's time to go home and drown my sorrows..."
-------------
For the purposes of not identifying the boy his name has been changed for this post:
During the school holidays on of our 14 year old students disappeared 'off our radar' and we heard that he had been arrested. The boy who was being cared ...for by his grandmother had never given any indication of being the type of boy to get himself into problems so it was a surprise to us all. Eventually after a month of inquiries and trying to locate the boy he was eventually found in a youth prison where he had been for three months without a visitor.
This report from Liz at MERCY gives an insight into the problems that kids who do get into trouble are faced with:
=======================================
When Suky accompanied the team to the Youth Prison last Friday, she and Sudjai were able to locate 'Dah'. As you can see from the photograph he looks sad and scared. He has been there for three months and had no visitors at all in that time.
We will try to find out what/when the visiting hours are and visit. His case hasn't come to court yet, and we have asked that we be informed when the date is given so that we may have Suky and/or Sudjai there to speak for him - so they know that someone is 'in his corner' and can give any support needed. Currently, he is with the 'youngsters', but if he is sentenced he will go in with older, tougher boys, and we want to prevent that if we can. He's just so vulnerable.
However, we need to know why he did what he did - peer pressure, a dare, financial necessity...we just don't know at this point. When we can find this out it may give us direction to go in to be able to help him, hopefully.
100 Years From Today
It will not matter how big your bank account
was, the sort of house you lived in, or the kind of car you drove. But the
world may be a little better because your help touched the life of one child.
www.slum-kids.org
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