O/T but related as it shows experience with WPD EMCU
On a warm May day, going about my regularly scheduled activities I received a phone call. I don’t get many phone calls, and since it wasn’t a school number or a family member I sent it to voicemail. When I listened to the voicemail, my stomach completely sank. I listened to the message three times. It was a detective with WPD EMCU asking me to return his call ASAP. I even googled the name and number to see if it was a prank. This was my worst nightmare come to life. See, my son has severe autism and he is completely nonverbal. I’m freaking out in my mind, he’s wandered away from school and they lost him! (Mind you, what I have described just now took less time than it took me to write it, but it felt like a millennium).
I called the detective back. He tells me he is calling about my son. I’m glad I’m sitting or I might’ve fallen, my knees are weak, my hands are shaking, my voice breaks as I ask is he ok. The detective tells me something that makes me so happy I could sing- my son is fine! I am so relieved but now I am confused- why is he calling?
He tells me he is investigating a report made by a staff member at the school, on another staff member. That said person may have mistreated my son. That they saw the person twist his arm inappropriately and other things. He asks me has my son mentioned anything about anyone mistreating him? I started crying again- my second worst nightmare come to life. I told him as much - my son couldn’t tell me even if he wanted to. I am hyper vigilant with my son, I check him for marks and bruises daily, watch for changes in behavior because that is how he ‘talks’ to me.
The detective didn’t have the extent of his disabilities in his report, he said. The person who reported it to them, may not have that knowledge of my son and he wanted to speak with me before they approached the school. He told me he knew it was a hard thing to hear and we chatted for a bit. I remember him being so nice and comforting. I asked him to keep me appraised of developments as he was able.
When I got off the phone, I was a wreck. I called my husband, my family members, my friends, and I consulted an attorney friend of mine. He told me to just keep on the detective and make sure it didn’t get swept under the rug or forgotten.
I called to check in about once a month. No new updates to report each time but he was glad to hear from me.
Then, almost six months later to the day, I got a call. The person had been charged with 22 counts of abuse! And wouldn’t ever be allowed to work in the school system or with children again! I wasn’t provided their name though.
Shortly after this, they had an EMCU Q&A night at the school - there were several high profile cases in the news about the same time in the same district also. EMCU came to the school and answered many questions about their investigations, how thorough they are, what tools they use, how the testing especially takes awhile... they were amazing to hear.
I’ve told this to help provide some perspective. My son was well, he wasn’t missing, not a visible mark on him. The investigation took almost 6 months, and they had solid proof for every charge. Sure it was annoying and frustrating to hear ‘no new updates’ for almost six months. But the peace of mind I got, knowing someone is watching out for my son when I can’t, was worth the wait.
I pray every day that Lucas’ family can have that same sense of closure and the department doing their very best job for Lucas.
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