MISSISSIPPI
WTVA
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) — The director of the Family Resource Center in Tupelo supports a bill sent to the governor that requires health professionals, clergy and others to report suspected sexual abuse of children.
“Over 17,000 children were allegedly sexually abused last year,” said Christi Webb, who leads an agency that conducted more than 400 forensic interviews last year to determine if a child had been sexually abused.
But many more incidents go unreported, she said, because sometimes people who are in position to know what’s going on don’t come forward.
“I think when it comes to children, when it comes to sexual abuse, child abuse, I think confidentiality needs to be thrown completely out the window,” Webb continued.
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