Child Molestation Reporting - Liability Question

[Malachi Tache]

What is the name of your state? Indiana

I posted this in a separate forum, but just saw this one and thought it is probably better suited to be answered here. Sorry for the duplication.

There is a small home-school support group in Indiana looking for advice. The group is a volunteer group of home schooling families and is not incorporated.

One family has alleged that their young child was molested by an older child (also in the group) during an encounter at a park. They are planning to press charges against the teenager and have asked the leaders of the home-school support group to send a letter to all members to inform them of the situation and inquire into the possiblity that their children may have been exposed to a possible child molestation.

Of course, the leaders of the support group would like to help, however, they are concerned about any liability in sending a letter out with information about of such a nature. Even a generic reference would raise great concern and the family of the teenager may take action against the leaders for printing something of this nature.

Is there a way they can help get word out to parents who deserve to know of such an allegation without exposing the leaders of the group to a lawsuit? What obligations do the leaders have in such a situation?

 

[BelizeBreeze]

What is the name of your state? Indiana

I posted this in a separate forum, but just saw this one and thought it is probably better suited to be answered here. Sorry for the duplication.

There is a small home-school support group in Indiana looking for advice. The group is a volunteer group of home schooling families and is not incorporated.

One family has alleged that their young child was molested by an older child (also in the group) during an encounter at a park. They are planning to press charges against the teenager and have asked the leaders of the home-school support group to send a letter to all members to inform them of the situation and inquire into the possiblity that their children may have been exposed to a possible child molestation.

Of course, the leaders of the support group would like to help, however, they are concerned about any liability in sending a letter out with information about of such a nature. Even a generic reference would raise great concern and the family of the teenager may take action against the leaders for printing something of this nature.

Is there a way they can help get word out to parents who deserve to know of such an allegation without exposing the leaders of the group to a lawsuit? What obligations do the leaders have in such a situation?

tell the person making such allegations to send the letter their own damn selves. They don't get to include anyone else in their allegations.

 

[Menthol]

If the family did get sued for slander then they would probably end up having to prove that their allegations were true. If they press charges and the individual in question is declared not guilty then continuing to allege that the individual is guilty would probably be easily proven to be slander or libel. I would recomend that they press charges first. Once the case has gone to trial it is public knowledge, and the local press will probably print an article about it. If they want to publish a newsletter I would recomend passing it by a lawyer first before sending it out. Considering the nature of the case they might be able to find someone to do it for free.