What would happen to a child who set a fire?

Factual Questions
1

Hey all,

So… this is a fictional scenario in my book, so I REALLY could use some advice.

A seven year old child told his entire family that they most of them were going to die. The next day, the house burned down. This child (whose name is Cal) led out his two cousins at three in the morning (Emily, age 10, and Victoria, age 9.) Everyone else died of smoke inhalation. Cal had matches, etc., and confessed to starting the fire, but claimed that “I had to do it.”

Now, what actually happened is that the family tried to dabble with supernatural powers, it didn’t work out, and they were already dead when the house burned. Cal set the fire because the house was a conduit between one world and the next, and if it continued to exist, then the door between life and death would be opened. However, nobody knows this.

The question is: what would happen to Cal in this situation? Would he be put in some kind of special foster home/institution/God knows what for emotionally disturbed children? Would DHS try to find a relative somewhere willing to take him? What?

All ideas appreciated! :slight_smile:

2

If you have a state/country in mind, you could try to figure out what their rules are for a 7 year old’s liability for crimes, and see what kind of crime arson is considered to be in that state.

3

I don’t know WHY my reply apparently didn’t go through, but here it is again!! In Oregon, the minimum age for criminal liability is 12. So it’s not that I think that Cal would go to prison; it’s a question of what actually WOULD happen.