A child can be in police protection for up to how many hours?

• A. 24 Hours
• B. 72 Hours
• C. 48 Hours
• D. 96 Hours

Answer: (B)

When a child is in police protection, the aim is to keep them safe while an immediate risk is assessed and appropriate arrangements are made. The period available to hold the child in a place of safety and carry out initial safeguarding work is up to 72 hours, giving social services time to assess the situation, gather information, and decide whether the child should be returned home, placed with another family, or require further court action. After that window, any extension or longer placement generally requires a magistrate’s order or an application to the court. So among the options, 72 hours is the standard maximum duration for police protection.