Riverside County Board of Supervisors 9/24/2019
Channel: MsElderAdvocate
Date: 2019-09-25

Advocates asked the Riverside County Board of Supervisors to investigate county departments’ failure to protect a disabled young man from criminal abuse, including sexual abuse.

• County sheriff ignored abuse.
• County sheriff’s abuse policy was written in 1987.
• County sheriff said criminal abuse was a civil matter.
• Adult Protective Services (APS) ignored abuse.
• Public Guardian ignored abuse.
• County Counsel ignored abuse.

County counsel disregarded Penal Code 368.5.

• Abuse of a dependent adult is a crime.
• Law enforcement has exclusive jurisdiction over criminal investigations.

County Counsel instructed advocates to report crimes to civil court.  

Perhaps Riverside County Sheriff and County Counsel do not understand the distinction between criminal court and civil court.