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Evidence In the middle of coping with the immediate crisis, you may begin looking into the future. Will there be a criminal prosecution? Do I need to worry about gathering evidence, taking pictures, or having the child write a statement? Is the perpetrator free or in jail? Does the perpetrator live in the same home as the child? Must the child be placed in protective care, placed with a relative, taken to stay in a hotel? Can the perpetrator be put out of the house? If you take your child to the hospital, they will likely do a rape kit if rape is suspected. If they do not, ask why. If there are visible injuries (e.g. bruises and abrasions), they may take pictures. If they do not, ask them if they can take pictures of any visible injuries or take pictures yourself when you get home. The hospital personnel will also usually help you call a rape crisis counselor, the police and/or child protective. The police or a local domestic violence shelter may also be willing to help you take pictures. I caution you to keep in mind that you are not dealing with a piece of evidence, but a traumatized child. I have seen cases where the desire to secure evidence of suspected abuse or neglect has resulted in a re-traumatization of the child because the parent neglected to consider how he or she felt about being photographed. Another warning, the more you say to the child or question the child what happened, the more likely it is that your child's testimony will be questioned later. Often, particularly if the abuse allegations arise in the middle of a custody battle or divorce, accusations will be made that the parent who has not been accused is brainwashing or otherwise inducing the child to say these awful things. The less you question or say to the child before authorities arrive, the better. Should you call the police or child protective? That is always a tough call. In some jurisdictions, you may be required to call. In others, it may be optional. If it is optional, it is still usually the wiser course of action. At a minimum, you must protect the child. That means that the perpetrator must be denied further contact with the child while the allegations are being investigated. If you allow contact, you could be charged with a crime or with child neglect and the child and his or her siblings could be removed from your home.
