How to help a loved one when they’re arrested

The moment somebody close to you is arrested, especially if it is your child, you will feel as if your whole world has come crumbling down. You’ll likely go into a frenzy, and that’ll result in you making decisions that benefit neither you nor your loved one.

To deal with such a high-pressure situation, you have to be open to thinking objectively, and you have to resolve to make decisions and take actions that aren’t born of worry. Doing that is the only way you’re going to help and protect your loved one when they are arrested. To see exactly what you need to do to do so, check out the advice below.

Stay extremely calm

When you see your loved one being taken away by the arresting officers or you get a phone call from the police station telling you of the situation that has transpired, as stated, you will naturally want to go into a frenzy of worry. You should combat this feeling, as well as any actions that it drives you to want to take, however, by staying calm.

Don’t rush towards being angry or upset at the situation, and don't rush towards having judgement for either your loved one, whoever it is claiming against them or the police officers that arrested them — instead, focus your efforts on dealing with the situation proactively and effectively.

Find out what’s happening

The first thing that you should do when seeking to make a proactive impact on the situation is to find out exactly what is going on. This should mean heading down to the station in which your loved one is being questioned or detained straight away, and, if you can, attempting to speak to them face-to-face. What you should also seek to do is get your loved one the legal representation that they need or want, as they might not be in any fit state to sort it themselves. Draycott Browne are sex crime and sexual offence solicitors that provide unbiased support for those facing such charges, especially when it is the first offence they are being accused of. They are the type of support that you should be getting in touch with.

Talk to your loved one

Once the frenzy of the arrest and the police interview is over, and your loved one has either been detained further, granted bail or released, you should talk to them. This means not lecturing them, accusing them or acting like a lawyer, this means getting their side of the story and talking about what it is that drove them to do what they did. If they continue to proclaim innocence for what they are being accused of, you should put any preconceived notion about what you think the truth might be in order to assess what they are telling your fairly. No matter what you might think, they could very well be telling the truth, and they're going to need your support and belief if they are.

Arrests and subsequent charges aren't nice, but they do happen. When a loved one of yours is arrested, just make sure you're there for them.