In re H.S. CA3

FACTS

The Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services (Department) received a report of possible sexual abuse of nine-year-old B.B., the male half sibling of the three-year-old female minor, H.S., who is autistic and nonverbal.2 B.B. was overheard telling another child at school that R.S. had been sexually abusing him. B.B. described acts of oral and anal sex and licking or sucking nipples that R.S. perpetrated on him and that he was required to perform on R.S. B.B.’s subsequent statements to school officials and separately to investigating officers and social workers were consistent with the initial statement. When interviewed, the mother denied any abuse had occurred, stated the minor was lying, and blamed the school for telling the minor “things.” The Department filed a petition in August 2014 alleging that H.S. was at risk of sexual abuse by R.S. because B.B. was sexually abused by R.S. on multiple occasions and mother knew or should have known of the abuse but failed to protect him. The detention report stated the mother continued to deny any sexual abuse occurred stating, “ ‘there is no proof, just because my son said it does not mean it happened.’ ” The…