If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can get confidential help by calling the National Rape, Abuse & National Network’s toll-free 24/7 helpline. Incest at 800-656-4673 or visit the line online hotline.
Seven children, ages 11 to 17, fell victim to the nine alleged perpetrators, according to discussions held during the emergency hearing convened by US Judge Janis Jack on Thursday. The children stayed at the facility for more than a month after the abuse was first reported before they were taken away.
The children were sexually and physically abused and subjected to careless supervision and medical neglect while at The Refuge, a facility located in B Carpet operated by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. signed a contract, a current employee of Refugees reported to the state government on January 24. The court and court supervisors – the oversight bodies of the foster care system appointed by the judge – was not notified until Thursday.
That employee said a former employee sold nude photos of two children in the care facility, using the proceeds to buy illegal drugs and alcohol that were then made available to the children, according to a statement. letter from DFPS filed Thursday notifying the court of the case. . Local law enforcement and the Texas Department of Public Safety were notified immediately, according to the letter.
“Have you seen the Governor-General?” Jack asked, referring to the letter. No one answered.
Additional reporting by ABC13, “We fired the obvious perpetrator of that case immediately,” a representative for The Refuge Ranch said in a press conference. “There are other concerns that some members of her family may have been involved in that as well.”
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In a statement on Thursday night, Gov. Greg Abbott said the Texas Rangers will investigate, arrest, and pursue charges against any suspects involved in the Asylum charges.
Abbott said: “The reports of child sex trafficking at The Refuge in B Carpet are appalling. “Child abuse of any kind will not be tolerated in the state of Texas, and we are committed to ensuring these despicable perpetrators are brought to justice and punished to the fullest extent of the law. the law.”
The identities of the suspects have yet to be made public.
Richman, DFPS commissioner for child protection investigations, told the court the children were not removed from the facility immediately because investigators believe the person responsible was fired.
However, several employees were found to be responsible for child abuse, some of whom were not immediately removed. One suspect has been arrested by law enforcement, and DFPS anticipates further arrests.
Between the first report on January 24 to March 4, DFPS received several additional reports of employees who were removed from the facility. However, during its investigation, DFPS “discovered a number of additional employees still employed at this operation that appeared to be related, and many of them were related by blood or marriage and/or cohabiting,” according to the letter. The operation’s residential care director is now believed to have known about the sexual abuse.
Additional reporting by ABC13, executive director of the nonprofit legal aid group Foster Care Support Center, Tara Green, spoke with Poojah Lodhia.
“My biggest question that I can’t answer is how did the department know about this for six weeks and sit on it and do nothing about it,” Green said. “For me, that’s the most serious part about this. It’s inexplicable and indisputable.”
DFPS did not remove all children until Wednesday, five weeks after the first documented report of sexual abuse. The department had dispatched Child Protective Services and off-duty law enforcement personnel to the facility to “ensure the safety of youth” the day before. Eight of the nine children who were at The Refuge at the time were placed in other facilities that specialize in serving victims of commercial sex trafficking, according to the letter. The other child refused to be placed in another facility and DFPS is looking for another location.
Paul Yetter, an attorney representing child caretakers in the federal lawsuit, said in a statement Thursday. “Texas is failing its most basic obligation: to keep these innocent children safe. And we all know who pays.”
Jack, who is overseeing a decades-long lawsuit against Texas over its foster care system, expressed horror at the finding during Thursday’s hearing.
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The judge criticized DFPS for not removing the children immediately when allegations of abuse were first reported, calling it another failure of the system. A lot of bombshell report was released by court-appointed ombudsman detailing abuses in the system, neglect and even death of children.
Dozens of Texas-contracted facilities recently closed or had their permits revoked after numerous violations and exposed children to dangerous and damaging environments. Child advocates and judges have repeatedly criticized Texas officials for failing to ensure safe facilities for children in the state’s care. From the summer of 2019 to May 2021, court supervisors found that at least 23 children died in the Texas long-term foster care system in state-licensed shelters and facilities.
DFPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The judge asked the state to provide the court with the identities of the alleged abusers and victims by noon Friday. She also asked for details about the care the children have received since they were moved.
For more on this story, follow Pooja Lodhia on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.
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