We recently discovered our child endured years of sexual and physical assault at the hands of another minor, a “best friend”—a parent’s worst nightmare. We immediately contacted the Fairfax City police, and both my husband and I, along with our child, spoke with detectives, including a forensic detective. We were assured a juvenile petition would be filed and the perpetrator would face appropriate consequences.
To our utter disgust, the detective later informed us that despite believing our child, there wasn’t enough evidence to pursue a petition, simply stating, “it was so sad.” We learned the detective had only spoken with the accused child’s mother and brother, both of whom lied. Although the detective saw our video evidence that proved their lies, this was enough for our child’s case to be completely dismissed. Our child was interrogated by a forensic interviewer for an hour, yet the accused was never even required to leave his home.
This experience has completely shattered our lives. The young boy who physically and sexually abused our child, even threatening them with knives and a lighter, will face no repercussions. We feel it’s crucial for Fairfax parents to understand that if their child is sexually or physically assaulted without a witness or video evidence, they will receive no assistance from the police. After watching a video of the interview between the accused’s mother, brother, and the detective, it was appalling to see the detective show more concern for the accused than the victim, even laughing at our child when discussing their abuse. We feel utterly betrayed by a department that is supposed to protect us.
After reading this email several times, I decided that our newspaper should be the platform Hannah uses to get to their day in court. Sarah and I discussed the best way to do that would be for us to share Hannah’s story. I spoke to Hannah on the evening of June 13, 2025 at our office.
After welcoming Hannah, a rising eight grader at Flint Hill, to our office, we chatted for the next half hour. Like most normal middle schoolers, Hannah’s biggest stressors have been school tests – some of which they could have done without. But they balance this stressor by hanging out with a group of close friends. When asked, who was her best friend since childhood, Hannah mentioned they had a wonderful childhood friend. In fact, Hannah’s life was filled with fun, loving and compassionate friends. Except one.
