In re H.K. CA2/8

FACTS

H.K. was born in 2010. Mother lived in India prior to her arranged marriage to Father in 2009 and only speaks Punjabi. A restraining order was issued against Father and it was ordered that he have no visitation with H.K. in 2011. As a result, the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services (Department) received an emergency referral about the family. At the initial interview, Mother described two years of severe domestic violence by Father, including repeated rape of Mother in H.K.’s presence, false imprisonment and verbal, emotional and physical abuse by Father. Father took her cell phone away and refused to allow her to speak to her family. Father’s family, with whom they were living, either ignored the abuse or participated in it. Mother also reported that Father smoked opium and drank alcohol. She had previously attempted to report the abuse with no success and was afraid of the repercussions of trying anything more. The Department’s investigation revealed that Father had a previous arrest in 2008 for making terrorists threats against a neighbor. (Pen. Code, § 422.) The police were also called in 2005 after Father had a fight with his brother. The…