A teenage girl in Barrie spent a night in jail after she was arrested Friday night for allegedly skipping a large number of high school classes.
Barrie police Const. Jamie Saunders said there was a provincial offences warrant out for the girl’s arrest, but police were investigating her for a minor unrelated issue when she was taken into custody.
Saunders said the girl has missed “a significant amount” of class in recent years, and the warrant for her arrest under the Education Act was issued last week.
Police were in contact with the girl’s mother, and Saunders said she was aware her daughter was not attending school, but she did not know a warrant had been issued for her daughter’s arrest.
Police said the girl also skipped an earlier court date regarding the allegations against her.
The teenager appeared in a court on Saturday morning via video link, Saunders said.
The Education Act states it is mandatory for children between the ages of 6 and 18 to attend school.
Saunders said that in his 15-year-long police career, he’s never seen anything like this.
