In re Ashley H. CA2/5

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Ashley H. is the daughter of E.H. (Mother) and step-daughter of D.H. (Father). Father raised Ashley from the time she was three years old and considers her to be his daughter. Mother and Father also have a son, Douglas H. On October 25, 2011, 14-year-old Ashley and 11-year-old Douglas were detained by the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Service (DCFS) after Ashley disclosed to a school counselor that she had been raped multiple times by Father. When confronted with the allegations, Father denied them and Mother explained that Ashley is bipolar, suffers from depression, and is never left home alone unsupervised. She also stated Ashley claimed she had been raped the previous year, but fabricated the allegation in order to gain attention. Mother did not believe Ashley had been sexually assaulted. Ashley subsequently denied Father raped her. Ashley later stated she had been raped over a period of years, starting when she was 11, but refused to identify Father as her abuser. Douglas denied any knowledge of sexual or emotional abuse in the home. Appellants do not challenge the juvenile court‟s finding that Father sexually abused…