Seven juveniles who escaped the Boys Training Centre (BTC) on Sunday, August 23, have safely returned.
St. Lucia News Online (SNO) understands that the juveniles returned around 5 p.m.
The youths had escaped through the facility’s fence at around 2 p.m. that same day.
Sources told SNO that the youths showed signs of using alcohol and drugs and some of them were even found with small quantities of marijuana in their possession.
A team from the BTC had conducted several searches for the juveniles, after receiving word that they were spotted on the beach and surrounding areas within Gros Islet, but they came up empty handed.
All seven of the boys returned to the facility on their own and did not give an explanation for escaping.
At least three of the youths are considered dangerous and were ordered to face time behind bars by the court for various offenses, according to sources.
Repairs to the perimeter fence, which has been in a deplorable state for a number of years, were expected to commence about a month ago, but construction has not yet started.
Sixteen CCTV cameras were recently installed to improve security and monitor the behaviour of juveniles, but are only monitored by the head of the organisation.
One of the juvenile’s had escaped through a broken window back in 2014. The youth used a bed sheet to escape. There have been similar incidents of this nature.
One of the escapees was also implicated in a shooting incident that occurred in Castries.
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