For over a year, one Kansas City father said he sat in the dark. Each day he waited for Kansas City Police detectives to give him a call.
“To never get an answer, to never get a phone call back, to never get a missed message or anything and after six months of not hearing anything we just assumed… nothing,” he told 41 Action News.
41 Action News is not identifying him because his daughter is a victim.
When she was 3-years-old she was reportedly raped by a man who give her Chlamydia.
She first told her father, who brought her to a hospital and then to police in St. Louis and Kansas City.
The Kansas City Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit took the case.
“I had no idea it wasn’t being investigated,” he said. “It should have been an open and shut case. It should have been very clear.”
His daughter’s case was not the only one being ignored.
Internal memos within the police department show detectives failed to properly investigate cases of rape, sexual assault and abuse of children.
"In most of the cases reviewed by the SA group, child victims of rape, sodomy, molestation, abuse and neglect were not receiving proper or any service from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department,” according to one memo obtained by 41 Action News.
In January, 41 Action News first learned most members of the Crimes Against Children unit had been suspended with pay.
At the time, Kansas City Police Chief Darryl Forte said he was concerned these cases “may not have been handled in the most effective manner possible.”
One week later, the detectives and sergeants returned to work and were reassigned.
Other detectives were brought in on special assignment and, according to a statement sent to 41 Action News, a selection process took place to permanently place new detectives in the unit.
Forte declined to speak with 41 Action News. Instead, he read a statement which read in part:
"In response to the recent news stories about the KCPD’s Crimes Against Children’s Unit, our focus at the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office will remain on protecting children and prosecuting those who have preyed on them. Our goal today is to protect the cases currently pending against the accused abusers of children. Investigations may be flawed or less than perfect, but that does not mean the defendant is not guilty of the crimes they’ve been accused of doing. We will do everything possible to bring justice for the victim."
Failure to investigate these cases in a timely manner not only affected victims but also those trying to help, said Dr. Jim Anderst.
Anderst is the division chief of the abuse and neglect division at Children’s Mercy Hospital.
On average, each year, his unit sees 15,000 children— most from Jackson County.
“In the past five, six years we have only rarely testified in Jackson County,” he said. “So from a population basis that didn’t make any sense to us. Somewhere in the process there’s an issue getting people prosecuted and I don’t think it was the prosecutor’s office.”
41 Action News reached out to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker for this story. Her office sent a statement instead:
"In response to the recent news stories about the KCPD’s Crimes Against Children’s Unit, our focus at the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office will remain on protecting children and prosecuting those who have preyed on them. Our goal today is to protect the cases currently pending against the accused abusers of children. Investigations may be flawed or less than perfect, but that does not mean the defendant is not guilty of the crimes they’ve been accused of doing. We will do everything possible to bring justice for the victim."
It’s been three years since that Kansas City girl reported her rape to police. Her father tells 41 Action News the family is now getting justice for her. The man accused of raping her is now in jail.
“I’m pissed and angry about the whole situation but I feel for my daughter because I couldn’t imagine what it’s going to be like dealing with that. She’s an amazing little girl,” he said.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #99 released the following statement:
"As police officers there is a no greater responsibility than protecting the most vulnerable victims in our community. In January, several members of the Crimes Against Children Unit were suspended as an internal investigation was launched to investigate concerns over how cases were being handled. Those officers returned to work a few days later and were reassigned to other duties. The investigation is still ongoing and the officers involved are entitled to due process. Until we know what the findings of the investigation are, we are not able to speak in detail about the internal investigation.
We are looking forward to the conclusion of what we believe is a complete and thorough investigation. At that time it is imperative to address what if any issues and concerns were uncovered by this investigation. Public trust and transparency is important to us. Children who suffer abuse or neglect need to feel comfortable that they can report the crimes against them to police and their cases will be handled rigorously and swiftly."
