Ind. Law Requires Citizens To Report Child Abuse

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - In the wake of the scandal at Penn State University, the Indiana Department of Child Services is reminding Hoosiers that it is Indiana law to report child abuse.

 

IDCS Director James Payne sent out an opinion piece to news outlets Monday stating anyone who knows or suspects a child is being abused or neglected has a legal duty to report it to the department or law enforcement.

 

“It is not enough to tell someone about a suspicion, belief or knowledge,” Payne’s letter said. “Even though DCS receives approximately 150,000 hotline calls a year, our staff would rather receive multiple reports by different individuals about the same incident or allegation than to receive no report at all.”

 

Abuse can be reported by calling the Indian Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-800-5556.

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