If the story below turns out to be substantiated, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors might want to reconsider their renewal of the lease to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia for the Islamic Saudi Academy.
Follow-up to this posting about the Islamic Saudi Academy, from NBC4 News in Washington, D.C.:
Islamic School Searched After Abuse Allegations SurfaceYet.
Authorities Say School's Director Didn't Report Abuse Allegations
POSTED: 3:42 pm EDT June 3, 2008
UPDATED: 6:52 pm EDT June 3, 2008
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. -- Fairfax County police searched the Islamic Saudi Academy's west campus last month in connection with an investigation into child abuse allegations.
A 5-year old girl told a teacher in mid-May that her father was sexually abusing her, News4's James Adams reported. Two teachers and the principal at the west campus put together a report and forwarded it to the school's director general, Adams said.
According to court documents, the school's director, Adalla Al-Shabnan, did not believe the girl's complaint.
He later told investigators that he recommended psychological counseling for the girl after meeting with her parents.
Authorities said Al-Shabnan never reported the allegations of abuse to a child protective or law enforcement agency.
Virginia law requires abuse allegations to be reported within 72 hours.
Related: Watch The Report
On May 23, detectives searched and seized computers, notes and records from the school's Fairfax campus.
According to court documents, Al-Shabnan directed the original report to be deleted from the school's computers.
Calls to the academy's director were not returned.
Fairfax County police declined to comment on the investigation.
No charges have been filed.
Surely, the school's director, Al-Shabnan, is aware of the strict laws about suspected child-abuse cases reported to a school! One has to wonder if perhaps he didn't file a police report because of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors May 19 hearing about renewing the school's lease. Did the girl tell of the abuse before the hearing regarding the Islamic Saudi Academy's lease? If so, this case could get very ugly.
How does the Board of Supervisors feel now about their pro forma hearing?
Officially, the Islamic Saudi Academy's lease renews for another year on June 30.
4 comments:
First concern - the well being of that 5 year old child! Evem Aisha was permitted to remain an innocent child longer than 5 years.
Safeguard that child at all costs. No diplomatic immunity for child abuse.
Recognize the efforts of the two teachers and the principal who tried to address this. Arrest Al-Shabnan and thoroughly investigate, charge as applicable and let the law take it's due course.
In the meantime - nullify the lease and shut the school down until further notice. If Al-Shabnan is convicted - seize the assets for the local womens shelter or homeland security.
Radio Free Dar Al Harb has some additional info about ISA -- including that of a bus accident back in 2005.
Anonymous,
No diplomatic immunity for child abuse.
I suspect that diplomatic immunity will be the legal loophole. We'll see.
The Board should indeed nullify the lease until a full investigation has been completed.
ISA should not be shut down
things like this happen all over
Shabnan is to blame though
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