- Jurisdiction
- Missouri
Here's the situation... Her stepfather is verbally abusive, calls her filthy names. I'm not sure if there has been any physical abuse. She hasn't said there has been, but I know her stepfather and he is has been arrested in the past for beating each of his first two wives. This is his third marriage. The girl's mother allows this man to mistreat her daughter and her son. I do know that the stepfather did physically abuse the son who is a year younger than my daughter's friend. The son, however, moved back to the small town they came from to live with his grandmother. The girl wanted to do this as well, but her mother would not let her go. Basically, her mother wants her there because she is a live in babysitter for the baby she had with the stepfather. They make my daughter's friend do all the housework, laundry, and take care of the baby. She goes to school and is allowed to participate in activities at school such as sports, etc. but only if it doesn't interfere with her duties at home and of course the mom and stepfather NEVER come to her activities to watch her. The girl is a very depressed girl, low self-esteem, and cries all the time. She comes to our house every morning before to school to get ready with my daughter. This morning, she came over and was crying saying her stepfather had called filthy names and got in her face and screamed at her. She said she wanted to kill herself just to be able to get out of that house. She went as far as cutting herself. She called her mom from my house and her mother just screamed at her on the phone.
So my question is this, someone has told her that when she turns 17 she can legally move out and the police won't make her go back home. I've read the law here in Missouri and it says the legal age is 18, but at age 17 if the child is in a safe home, they may not make her go back. I want to help this child. I want her to know that my home is a safe place for her, but I know that if she leaves, her mom and stepfather will most definitely be sending the police to my house. So what legal steps does this girl and me have to take in order for her to be able to live with me? I want to call Social Services and hotline them, but this girl is afraid if I do, her mom and stepdad will take it out on her and it will get worse. I've encouraged her to talk to the counselor at school, but again she doesn't think they can help her. The only thing she thinks will help her is to get out of that house.
So my question is this, someone has told her that when she turns 17 she can legally move out and the police won't make her go back home. I've read the law here in Missouri and it says the legal age is 18, but at age 17 if the child is in a safe home, they may not make her go back. I want to help this child. I want her to know that my home is a safe place for her, but I know that if she leaves, her mom and stepfather will most definitely be sending the police to my house. So what legal steps does this girl and me have to take in order for her to be able to live with me? I want to call Social Services and hotline them, but this girl is afraid if I do, her mom and stepdad will take it out on her and it will get worse. I've encouraged her to talk to the counselor at school, but again she doesn't think they can help her. The only thing she thinks will help her is to get out of that house.