In re F.V.

BACKGROUND

1. Referral and initial investigation On November 1, 2022, the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) received a referral alleging maternal uncle, with whom F.V. resided, had sexually abused F.V. F.V. was 10 years old at the time. DCFS removed F.V. and maternal uncle’s daughter, M.V., and placed them in foster care.1 DCFS’s investigation revealed the following. F.V. had traveled to the United States from Honduras with father approximately 11 months earlier. F.V.’s family lived in poverty, and “had heard younger children were being allowed into the United States.” Their first attempt to cross the border was unsuccessful. F.V. then crossed without father and was detained

At various times in these proceedings, F.V. and M.V. gave detailed accounts of the sexual abuse they suffered. Those details are not relevant to our resolution of this appeal, and we do not summarize them.

3 by immigration authorities. Mother, still in Honduras, consented to the immigration authorities placing F.V. with maternal uncle. Father arrived in the United States later and was living in Texas. F.V. told mother during a videochat that maternal uncle had…