Fort Worth PD reviews policy after failing to notify mother about her child's sex assault case

FORT WORTH - The Fort Worth Police Department said Thursday it is reviewing department policy after a FOX 4 report revealed that a teenage girl's rape case was mishandled.

The Arlington Heights High School student told FOX 4, she was 15 years old when another student raped her near campus on December 2, 2015. She reported it to her school three months later after hearing from friends that her alleged attacker did the same thing to other girls.

Fort Worth ISD filed a police report, but the detective assigned to the case did nothing from there.

Police confirmed Wednesday that the department fired former detective Dennis Hutchins in July 2016 for mishandling multiple child abuse cases.

"We've discovered there were several cases where the detective dropped the ball,” said Sgt. Marc Povero. “We've done our due diligence to go back through all the cases not properly handled or mishandled and we're re-investigating those cases. This was one of them."

However, FOX 4 found that even after a new detective was assigned the case, police never called the girl's mother to tell her that her daughter's case had not been investigated by Hutchins.

ORIGINAL STORY: Mother not notified after Fort Worth police botch sex assault case

“I have a minor child who was sexually assaulted and I was not told,” the mother told FOX 4. “She made a report and as a parent I could have provided her some emotional support, therapy, guidance to get through it, rather than watch her decline academically and not know what was going on."

The mother only learned that her daughter's case had fallen through the cracks after FOX 4 called Fort Worth police.

After FOX 4 story aired on Wednesday, Sgt. Marc Povero told FOX 4 in an e-mail:

The mom believes there should be a mandate that all parents are called if there is an allegation of abuse.

“It's heartbreaking to me that my daughter went through this alone,” the mom said.

Fort Worth ISD declined to comment on the case because of student privacy. The district did provide FOX 4 with its policy that states a parent is to be notified unless there is an objection, such as an allegation being made against a parent.

This investigation started as tip from the public. If you would like submit a tip or story idea, please email iteam@kdfwfox4.com.