My question involves child abuse or neglect in the State of: WV.
I called and made a report with CPS (with proof of child abuse). They talk to the mother and never talk to the father or the kids. The complaint was against the father. I go to DHHR after a month to file a complaint against the worker and they won't let me. They say they can take as long as they want to investigate a report. These are sexual and physical abuse issues. So they take my name and number and say they will have the supervisor call me because they are not there. I told them I have more information on the man abusing his children, should I call the hotline number and they said the supervisor will call me if they need that information, not to call that number. The man has an ongoing investigation with CPS but is that not reason to take further information? The supervisor never bothered calling. They also did not take my proof I have against this man.
I am not figuring their actions are legal. Is there anything I can do? Who can I report them to?
CPS is Not Doing its Job
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06-28-2016, 09:13 PMjustthinking132CPS is Not Doing its Job
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06-28-2016, 09:20 PMDogmatiqueRe: CPS Not Doing Their Job
If they didn't see fit to act, then they didn't see fit to act. Perhaps your proof wasn't credible enough.
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06-29-2016, 05:59 AMcomment/atorRe: CPS Not Doing Their Job
Whatever they have done, the one thing they don't have to do is keep you abreast of it. Can you imagine how many calls they get from people who just want to get other people in trouble? They don't assume that every call they get is genuine from the beginning. And they do not give "follow up reports" to the people who have called in, saying, 'You know what? We went out there, and we just talked to the mother, we didn't talk to anyone else, and we found out that.....blah blah blah." Never happens. Because whether or not they investigate based on your "evidence" or not, you don't get to participate.
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06-29-2016, 08:46 AMjustthinking132Re: CPS Not Doing Their Job
I never asked for a follow up report, I just want them to do their job, actually investigate. I know what happened. The proof I have is major enough that his children should be removed from his care. I can prove everything I told them.
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06-29-2016, 08:48 AMKBoy420Re: CPS Not Doing Their Job
Perhaps they did do their job, and investigated, and found no reason to pursue it any further. Just because you think something is going on and you think you can prove it, doesn't make it so.
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06-29-2016, 10:07 AMOhiogalRe: CPS Not Doing Their JobYou have such great proof and did not go to law enforcement and report the crimes?Quote:
Quoting justthinking132
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06-29-2016, 11:00 AMDogmatiqueRe: CPS is Not Doing its JobWhat you think is proof, and what they (and the legal system) think is proof may be two very, very different animals. Why do you think you have the right to know what's going on?Quote:
Quoting justthinking132
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06-29-2016, 11:50 AMjustthinking132Re: CPS is Not Doing its Job
So the police would deal with those issues if CPS won't? I don't have any right to know what CPS does, I never asked them for such information, I just wanted an investigation actually done on the person I made the complaint against. The person they talked to doesn't even live with this man. I can't go to court and get a protective order and make it stick unless they do their job. The court house told me to file a complaint with CPS.
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06-29-2016, 11:58 AMDogmatiqueRe: CPS is Not Doing its JobQuote:
Quoting justthinking132
The police can investigate a report, sure - but you'll come up against the same problems if there's no proof. Again, what you think is proof and what the legal arena thinks is proof may be two very, very different.
Are you one of the parents? What? -
06-29-2016, 09:32 PMMercy&GraceRe: CPS is Not Doing its Job
" I can't go to court and get a protective order and make it stick unless they do their job."
Who are you to these children and this man ? Why does CPS need to do what you think they need to do in order for yo to get a protective order ? If you have proof that your life and safety has been threatened, you don't have to wait for CPS to do anything ? Even if they were to find that the father had abused the children, that does not mean that a protective order can be obtained against him.
Do you have actual video tape of him harming the children ? As others have said, what you think is proof evidently isn't what CPS and the courts call proof. -
06-29-2016, 10:59 PMcdwjavaRe: CPS is Not Doing its JobAnd just who are you in this situation? And what is this "proof" you claim to have?Quote:
Quoting justthinking132
It could be that the mother dispelled all of your allegations and they felt no need to proceed further. And depending on the specific nature of the allegations, they may not warrant their direct intervention.Quote:
They talk to the mother and never talk to the father or the kids. The complaint was against the father.
You can complain to supervisors at CPS, but, no amount of complaining and compel them to investigate faster, or, competently.Quote:
I go to DHHR after a month to file a complaint against the worker and they won't let me. They say they can take as long as they want to investigate a report. These are sexual and physical abuse issues. So they take my name and number and say they will have the supervisor call me because they are not there. I told them I have more information on the man abusing his children, should I call the hotline number and they said the supervisor will call me if they need that information, not to call that number. The man has an ongoing investigation with CPS but is that not reason to take further information? The supervisor never bothered calling. They also did not take my proof I have against this man.
I am not figuring their actions are legal. Is there anything I can do? Who can I report them to?
If you believe there is criminal sexual and physical abuse going on, then you can call the police. The police investigate crimes, CPS dies not necessarily do that. While they may be required to cross report complaints to the police (they are in my state), these cross reports may not be looked into by the police.
So, go to the police with your allegations and your "proof" (whatever it is) and let them look into it.
And how do you know they did not investigate further? Since you are not on the inside, you cannot possibly know WHAT they did.Quote:
Quoting justthinking132
No, they would deal with it and also report it to CPS. I cannot say how it might work in your jurisdiction, but, out here the police would investigate to determine if there might be any validity to the allegations and they would also work with CPS since CPS may have some more effective "tools" at their disposal than the police might. They each have methods that can be used to get to the truth as best they can, but both are also limited by the law. They cannot act on your word alone. If your "proof" is anything short of video evidence of abuse and molestation, they have to tread carefully. What you may think is damning evidence may be much less so from a legal standpoint. Many people think a Facebook post or a text message is a smoking gun when it usually is not. At least, not by itself.Quote:
Quoting justthinking132
I have done a great many child abuse investigations and have heard a hundred proclamations, "I have proof!" with regards to claims of abuse where said claims were NOT legally sufficient to even establish the probable cause necessary to obtain a search warrant.
So, report it to the police and let it go where it might go. AND, understand, that it will NOT happen lickity-split. These things can take time.
Again, how do you know what has been done??
What is your proof??
Who are you to these children, this man, or the mother??