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Allegations of sexual assault involving a minor in Grosse Ile
The police chief said in a letter posted to social media it allegedly took place Friday night at someone’s house. They confirm that suspects have been identified but have yet to make any arrests.
GROSSE ILE, Mich. (FOX 2) - Disturbing allegations of sexual assault involving a minor in Grosse Ile Township have police asking for help from the public.
Big picture view:
Police say they are investigating a reported sexual assault of a minor this past weekend. The police chief said in a letter posted to social media it allegedly took place Friday night at someone’s house. They confirm that suspects have been identified but have yet to make any arrests.
Meantime, school district officials say they are aware of allegations specifically made against students. However, they won’t comment much further for the same reasons.
What they're saying:
FOX 2 asked retired Detroit Police Assistant Chief Steve Dolunt and a therapist how these investigations take place when involving minors and sexual assault.
"If you can gain their confidence, slowly, but surely, the story comes out," said Dolunt. "But then, if this person is arrested, and they have to go to trial, the child’s going to be traumatized all over again. If the parents let the child testify, people say, why wouldn't they? Because it’s their kid. The kid’s traumatized. So you are damned if you do you are damned if you don’t."
"With any age, you’re going to try to bring in some kind of somatic aspect to things, which means bringing the nervous system from this high state to a low state so it might be unorthodox, but sometimes it incorporates movement. Sometimes it incorporates play where you have dolls, and they’re actually acting out what happened to them instead of saying it directly," said clinical psychologist Suzzanne Suleiman. "Sometimes they want to play roles with you where they show you what happened instead of telling you verbally, so it’s just creating the environment where they feel safe enough to show you, tell you or behaviorally act out what happened to them."
What's next:
School district officials have confirmed to parents the alleged sexual assault did not take place on school grounds or in any connection with school-sponsored events.
If you know anything, you are asked to call Grosse Ile Township Police.