In re Mariah H. CA5

BACKGROUND

Mariah H., 15 years old, Quinn H., 14 years old, and Ashley M., nine years old, resided with their mother and her cousin John P. On August 30, 2012, Mariah reported that John had made inappropriate comments to her of a sexual nature, had masturbated in her bedroom while she pretended to be asleep, and had touched her vagina, buttocks, and feet. Mariah also reported that about one year prior, she told her mother that she woke in the middle of the night to find John masturbating in her bedroom. In response, her mother moved Mariah and her siblings to her aunt and uncle’s home. After a few days, however, they went back to the home they shared with John. Following Mariah’s report, social workers contacted Mother by telephone. Mother advised the social worker that she did not believe Mariah because Mariah was a liar. Mother did agree to sign a safety plan wherein John would leave the home during the investigation, or she and the children would leave the home. Despite being confronted with information that John admitted to having masturbated in Mariah’s room, Mother continued to assert that she did not believe Mariah.

1All further statutory references are to the Welfare and…