WORCESTER—City Council Vice Chair and At-Large Councilor Khrystian E. King said Wednesday that Worcester must do more to protect children and ensure accountability in cases involving abuse or assault.
“As a child protective social worker, I know firsthand that every report of child abuse or sexual assault involving minors must be taken with the utmost seriousness and handled in full accordance with Massachusetts General Law,” King said in the written statement. “When allegations are substantiated, that determination carries significant weight, impacts lives, and helps protect some of the most vulnerable among us.”
King, who noted he has more than 30 years of clinical experience, said no one with a substantiated finding of sexual assault against a minor should continue working with children.
“Every child’s experience must be thoroughly vetted and taken seriously, no matter how young they are or how difficult their truth may be to hear,” King said. “Every child deserves to be believed, protected, and supported.”
In his statement, King referenced “stories like Heather Prunier’s,” saying such accounts must “be heard, reheard, fully investigated, and given the full measure of justice they deserve.”
King added that Worcester has “a collective duty to protect every child and ensure that those entrusted with their care meet the highest standards of integrity and accountability.”
He urged local agencies, schools, youth organizations and service providers to review their policies and strengthen their screening and reporting procedures.
“We must never lose sight of our most sacred responsibility,” King said. “Every child in Worcester deserves safety, justice and the chance to grow up free from harm.”
