Niece - what to do?

[randolph76]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

My niece went to the police station to make a claim against her stepfather. The alleged abuse occurred for five years and she had told her brother who, in turn, told their grandmother. The grandmother is the one that brought her to the police station to file the report and start the investigation. My niece's mother filed a restraining order in order to placate the rest of the family but has been in contact with him from the beginning. My sister-in-law (the mother) is a habitual liar and so anything she says is suspect. She claims the State and one local PD dropped the case but the other PD is still investigating. But I have no idea how reliable that information is and am convinced from previous incidents that the allegations are most likely true.

My basic question is what can I do as an outside source to help protect these children when the mother refuses to?

 

[Proserpina]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

My niece went to the police station to make a claim against her stepfather. The alleged abuse occurred for five years and she had told her brother who, in turn, told their grandmother. The grandmother is the one that brought her to the police station to file the report and start the investigation. My niece's mother filed a restraining order in order to placate the rest of the family but has been in contact with him from the beginning. My sister-in-law (the mother) is a habitual liar and so anything she says is suspect. She claims the State and one local PD dropped the case but the other PD is still investigating. But I have no idea how reliable that information is and am convinced from previous incidents that the allegations are most likely true.

My basic question is what can I do as an outside source to help protect these children when the mother refuses to?

Absolutely nothing.

Let the State do its job.

If they are removed, then you can discuss your options (which are few no matter what).

 

[stealth2]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Illinois

My niece went to the police station to make a claim against her stepfather. The alleged abuse occurred for five years and she had told her brother who, in turn, told their grandmother. The grandmother is the one that brought her to the police station to file the report and start the investigation. My niece's mother filed a restraining order in order to placate the rest of the family but has been in contact with him from the beginning. My sister-in-law (the mother) is a habitual liar and so anything she says is suspect. She claims the State and one local PD dropped the case but the other PD is still investigating. But I have no idea how reliable that information is and am convinced from previous incidents that the allegations are most likely true.

My basic question is what can I do as an outside source to help protect these children when the mother refuses to?

Contact their father? How old are these children?