What would you do if you had evidence that a child has been abused, but they do not want to testify against the alleged abuser?
A senior social work practitioner tells what happened when a young woman presented her with just such a situation
A recent case of mine related to a teenage girl who alleged that she had been physically abused by her father. Initially, she shared this information with a member of staff at her school, and later repeated her allegations to me. A medical examination showed her injuries to be consistent with her explanation.
A decision was made that she should not return home while further enquiries were made. The police were anxious to conduct a video interview to enable them to proceed with their investigation. The video interview process was explained fully; she understood and wanted to proceed, even though she was aware of the possible consequences for her father and for her position within the family.
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