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Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act, 2008 (Act No. 70 of 2008)

Chapter 9 : Disciplinary Intervention and Appeal Procedure

52. Method of dealing with absconder from treatment centre

 

(1) For the purposes of this section, an involuntary service user who—
(a) has been granted leave of absence from a treatment centre and who, on the revocation or expiration of his or her leave of absence, fails to return to the treatment centre concerned; or
(b) without permission absents himself or herself from any health establishment or treatment centre to which he or she may have been admitted at the instance of the management of a treatment centre, must be regarded as having absconded from such treatment centre or health establishment.

 

(2) An involuntary service user who has absconded from a health establishment or treatment centre may be apprehended by a police official and must as soon as possible be brought before the magistrate of the district in which he or she was apprehended.

 

(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2), the head of the health establishment or manager of a treatment centre may, if an involuntary service user has absconded as contemplated in subsection (1), request assistance from the South African Police Service to locate, apprehend and place the involuntary service user in any place contemplated in section 40(1).

 

(4) The South African Police Service must comply with a request contemplated in subsection (3).

 

(5) A police official may use such constraining measures as may be necessary and proportionate in the circumstances when apprehending any person or performing any function in terms of this section, provided that such measures do not include cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or corporal punishment.

 

(6) An involuntary service user apprehended in terms of subsection (2) or (3) may be placed in custody in any place contemplated in section 40(1) until he or she is brought before a magistrate within a prescribed period.

 

(7)        

(a) A magistrate before whom an involuntary service user contemplated in subsection (2) or (3) is brought must, after having enquired into the reasons for the involuntary service user’s abscondment, order that such service user be—
(i) returned to the treatment centre or health establishment from which he or she absconded;
(ii) placed in custody, pending the decision of the Director-General, or in any place contemplated in section 40(1) designated by the magistrate; or
(iii) transferred to another treatment centre or health establishment.
(b) The magistrate must notify the Director-General of the result of the enquiry and of the order made in terms of this subsection.

 

(8) On consideration of the notification contemplated in subsection (7) and after any further enquiry which he or she may deem necessary, the Director-General must, if the magistrate has ordered that the involuntary service user be placed in custody pending the decision of the Director-General—
(a) direct that such service user be returned to the treatment centre or health establishment from which he or she absconded;
(b) deal with such service user in terms of section 43(1);
(c) direct that such service user be released on licence in terms of section 47; or
(d) direct that he or she be discharged from the effect of an order made under this Act.

 

(9) Section 40(4) applies with the changes required by the context in respect of any person placed in custody in a place referred to in section 36(1) or in pursuance of an order made under subsection (7)(a)(ii).

 

(10) Section 170 of the Children's Act applies with the changes required by the context in respect of a child absconding from alternative care or child and youth care centre.