How can I get a child abuse investigation re-opened?

by Brent Bird
(Markham, Ontario, Canada)

Daycare abused my daughter: 
We were informed by a teacher at my daughter's daycare that my daughter was abused. Before we could really act on it, the teacher was fired. When we said we would have an investigation started, they terminated my daughter from the daycare immediately. We still pursued the investigation. The daycare owners then had me falsely arrested. These bogus criminal charges enabled the Ministry of Children's Services to stop the investigation and ALL correspondence with us.

How can we get the investigation started again? These people manipulate the system, and their employees are in fear for their jobs.

My wife is very afraid of what these people might do if we continue to push for the investigation to start again.

Why would the ministry stop a child abuse investigation ever?

Note from Darlene: My answer to this Ask Darlene question "How can I get a child abuse investigation re-opened?" can be found below.

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If my son was sexually abused by a minor, what should I do?

by Ale
(California, USA)

What should I do if my son was sexually abused by another minor?

Note from Darlene: Ale, your question got trapped in queue with a recent system glitch; my sincere apologies for not addressing it sooner.

My answer to this Ask Darlene question "If my son was sexually abused by a minor, what should I do?" can be found at Comments below this submission.

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Witness in Court: Can you help with stats on conviction rates?

by Mark Pathak
(Liverpool, UK)

I am a Social Worker in Liverpool, UK. I am coming over to Toronto in June to do a presentation about some work that I have been developing in Liverpool over the past 10 years or so about how to enable adults with a learning disability (a mental handicap) (or intellectual disability, as I think you call it in Canada) to give evidence in crown Court trials. The work has been so successful (80-85% conviction rate, often in 1 against 1 trials with no forensic evidence) that the powers that be want it adopted all over England and Wales.

I am trying to find out the conviction rates in Canada when the main witness-complainant has an intellectual disability.

Can you help at all?

Do you know if there are any schemes/laws/policies to help individuals in such a situation?

Regards

Mark Pathak

Note from Darlene: My answer to this Ask Darlene question "Witness in Court: Can you help with stats on conviction rates?" can be found at the last link below.

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Percentage of males who are sexual abusers?

by Peggy H
(Nova Scotia, Canada)

What would be the % of men in society that do abuse? For example, I was once told that 7 out of 10 men are sexual abusers. Is this statistic correct?

Thank you!
Peggy H

Reply from Darlene: Absolutely NOT CORRECT by any statistical data that I'm aware of! Read the rest of my answer below.

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Can I put my rapist brother back in jail?

by Anonymous
(Arizona, USA)

I was raped and sodomized from the time I was 4 until I was 12. The rapist was my brother. He recently got out of prison and moved in with my sister a block from me. We live in a small town, and I am afraid of what he might do to me while my husband is away. The guy was never charged with rape because my parent's refused to let me testify. They tell me all the time that they love him more than me, and it doesn't seem to matter what I do, that won't change, yet still I help them whenever I can. My brother admitted to this in a court room and I have debated on getting that judge to testify for me and put my brother back in jail. I'm worried about what will happen if my plan backfires. Any advice on what I should do?

Note from Darlene: My answer to this Ask Darlene question "Can I put my rapist brother back in jail?" can be found below.

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Question on Statute of Limitations?

by Sandy
(Alberta, Canada)

I was raised in Manitoba where I was sexually and physically abused as a child. I am currently living in Alberta. I am wondering if there is a statute of limitations on sexual abuse charges in either province.

Note from Darlene: My answer to this Ask Darlene question "Question on Statute of Limitations?" can be found at Comments below this submission. Depending on system activity, there are sometimes delays in comments going live on my site; but rest assured, they do eventually appear. So if you don't yet see them, I hope you will return later to read what I, and possibly others, have written. I thank you for your patience and understanding.

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