PARK CITY, Utah, March 21, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The Summit County Attorney’s office has filed three counts of failure to report child abuse, a class B misdemeanor, against the Park City School District.
“It is the legal duty of any individual who has reason to believe that a child is, or has been, the subject of abuse or neglect (or observes a child being subjected to conditions or circumstances that would reasonably result in abuse or neglect) to immediately report to the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) or local law enforcement,” the Summit County Attorney’s office statement says.
The three counts reflect the results of a single investigation for which an investigative subpoena was issued on Friday, March 18. Also participating in this and other related investigations are the Park City Police Department and Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the statement says.
“Criminal investigations are time intensive; however, child protection demands an urgent and immediate response,” the Summit County Attorney’s statement says. “Parents and the public need to be aware that if an allegation of child abuse or neglect was reported to Park City School District schools in the past, that allegation may not have been reported to the proper authorities and may not have been properly investigated.
Anyone who contacted only a Park City School District school regarding suspected child maltreatment is asked to call Utah Child Protective Services 24-hour hotline at 855-323-3237, or Summit County Dispatch at 435-615-3600
“The probable cause statement in the charging document is drafted in such a way to protect the identity of children and their families,” the SCAO statement says.
“Child protection is our shared responsibility.”
