HANOVER COUNTY, Va. -- The Hanover Sheriff’s Office is investigating allegations of a sexual assault that may have taken place in a Hanover middle school.
The issue was brought to light during the monthly Hanover School Board meeting Tuesday night.
CBS 6 is choosing to hide the identities of the family members because they state their daughter is a victim. The parents of the student came forward to speak during public comments to the board.
They claim the sexual assault happened to their daughter, and that it took place during school hours last Wednesday at Bell Creek Middle School. They claim a male student put his hands in the back of their daughter's pants.
Through tears, they called on the school board to do their diligence in handling the incident.
“Our daughter was a victim to sexual assault battery at her Hanover County middle school. We have full faith the appropriate actions will be taken to resolve this matter,” they said.
The parents claim the incident has been made worse through harassment by peers after she reported the incident. They allege students got their daughter's number and harassed her, accused her of lying, teased her about her appearance and told her she should take her life.
The parents said as a result, she is in extreme distress and is not eating or sleeping.
The Hanover County Sheriff’s Office confirms they are investigating the incident. They said since it’s an alleged sexual assault that involves juveniles, they can’t release any further information.
The school district issued a statement to CBS 6 following the meeting.
“We are sensitive to the comments that were made at last night’s school board meeting during public comment and take them seriously,” said a school district spokesperson.
The district said they can’t comment on specific situations per the law, but explicitly stated that the safety of students and staff has been and will always remain their top priority.
The district noted that each situation is handled based on the code of student conduct. If it’s a criminal allegation, staff works closely with the sheriff's office.
