Delay in reporting abuse of a child is detailed in arrest report of suspect

The arrest report for the 20 year old accused of raping a 13 year old girl in a stairwell of Victory Christian Center states the girl told an official with Victory Christian Center on August 15^th but the church didn't notify police and the child's mother until August 30^th more than two weeks later.

With so much time detailed in the report, we wanted to know what the state law requires when it comes to reporting abuse and neglect of children.

KRMG talked with Tulsa Police and Cindy Cunningham, Legal Services with DVIS/Call Rape about the law.

"It makes it clear that every person who has a reason to believe that a child under the age of 18, is a victim of abuse or neglect, is required to report it," says Cunningham.

We’ve learned that the law use to hold those professionals that dealt with children to a higher reporting standard.

Cunningham tells us,"For example if you were physician, a school counselor, you had a higher duty to report this abuse but now the state of Oklahoma has made it so that any person- every person has the duty."

Cunningham tells us the language used in the law is critical because it says ‘shall report’ and she calls that a directive that doesn’t leave a choice for the individual.

"This simply puts it out there that whoever you are, whatever you role is you have this duty. So, it becomes everyone's responsibility to protect a child, to report abuse however it may have happened by whomever,” says Cunningham.

And she adds, "Every person has the duty and it is an individual duty. So, you can't escape your duty by saying well my employer wouldn't let me report it or it's not our policy to report it."

The arrest report states that there was a 15 day delay from when Victory Christian Center was first told by the 13 year old about the alleged rape to when the church reported it to police.

Tulsa Police tell KMRG that investigators will look at everything in the case.

The charge for not following the law is a misdemeanor.