Global Health and Vulnerability Factors of Minors in Police Custody: A Prospective Cohort Study

Study background: There is currently no data available regarding overall health and vulnerability factors for minors (i.e. those aged under 18) who have been placed in police custody in France. The purpose of this study was to define the sociodemographic characteristics of this population. We hypothesized that most of these teenagers can be deemed as being abused or neglected. Methods: We carried out a prospective study that included minors of 13 to 18 years of age who had been placed in custody at the Central Police Station of Nantes (France), from October 2012 to May 2013. The sociodemographic characteristics, scores for quality of life, and the data collected from the social and judiciary services were analysed to identify abused or neglected teenagers. Results: Ninety-nine cases were included. The identified population was mostly comprised of males, most commonly 16 years of age, who had been placed in custody for robbery. Their scores for quality of life were not statistically different from those of the general population. While 50% had already been identified by child protection services, our study shows that 84.8% of this population should nonetheless be considered as being abused or neglected. Conclusion: Compulsory health screening could provide an opportunity to detect abused or neglected teenagers, and consequently to provide them with access to appropriate care, as well as their referral to the relevant social and judiciary services so that the need for deploying specific protection to them can be assessed.