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Jilly_in_VA

(10,889 posts)
Thu Dec 15, 2022, 10:43 AM Dec 2022

Audit: Tennessee DCS failed to fully investigate sex abuse reports

The Tennessee Department of Children's Services failed to adequately investigate dozens of reports of sexual abuse and sexual harassment allegations in its state residential facilities in 2021, according to a scathing state Comptroller report released this week.

The state audit also found DCS ignored dozens of additional reports of alleged consensual sexual activity between residents, which DCS officials allegedly deemed not worthy of internal investigation due to the consensual nature of the activity.

"Although these acts were not considered sexual abuse or sexual harassment, they may indicate a lack of supervision at the facilities, which the department has a duty to investigate," the audit states.

"If DCS does not address all potential sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and lack of supervision allegations within all facilities, then they cannot be sure they are providing a safe, humane, and secure environment for all children under DCS’s care, especially those that live in non-juvenile justice focused facility settings."

The department countered that in residential facilities, DCS refers sexual abuse allegations between children ages 13 and 17 directly to law enforcement. But DCS did not follow up with those cases after referral.

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/politics/2022/12/13/tennessee-department-of-childrens-services-failed-to-probe-sex-abuse-reports/69725145007/

Why would this surprise anyone, when there are hundreds of thousands of rape kits sitting untested in PDs everywhere and Gym Jordan is sitting in congress like always?

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