New official investigation launched against Duggar family

A 911 call regarding the welfare of a child indicates the Duggars might not be cooperating with authorities

Published June 10, 2015 8:14PM (EDT)

Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar           (Fox News)
Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar (Fox News)

A new investigation involving questions about child welfare has been launched against the Duggar family, and it seems as if the "19 Kids & Counting" clan has not been entirely cooperative.

According to In Touch magazine, which first broke the news that eldest son Josh Duggar sexually abused his younger sisters when he was a teenager, the Arkansas Department of Human Services and law enforcement were called last month when the Duggars refused to allow DHS officials to see a minor upon request. Several members of the family sat for a controversial interview with Fox News' Megyn Kelly last week, where they failed to mention an ongoing DHS investigation. Via In Touch:

The Duggars made no mention of the fact that they have been under investigation again, but In Touch discovered what they are hiding via another Freedom of Information Act request that produced the 911 call.

After identifying himself as a Washington Country DHS employee and stating the Duggar family address, the caller tells the 911 operator, “We have an investigation and I guess they’re not being cooperative. We have to see the child to make sure the child is all right. So we just need police assistance.”

DHS records are not available to the public so it is unknown what prompted the investigation. Experts tell In Touch that an investigation can be triggered by a hotline complaint, even an anonymous one, if the trained operator determines the allegation is serious enough that it meets standards for child abuse maltreatment laws.

The Duggars were also investigated in 2006 for Josh's several acts of sexual abuse, which parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar failed to report after they were committed in 2002 and 2003.


By Jenny Kutner

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