Suspicious: Allegations of Sexual Assault at Freeman Coliseum

Misbar discovered there has been an investigation into an allegation of sexual abuse involving children who have crossed the border. The facility under investigation is near San Antonio, Texas. According to the Texas Tribune, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for the federal government to close the facility housing unaccompanied migrant children after he became aware of allegations of sexual assault.

According to the Tribune, Abbott said complaints about sexual assault were reported early Wednesday to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services as well as the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The governor did not know the identities of those who alleged assault, nor did he provide many details. He said he was concerned more than one child may have been assaulted. He also said that DPS will investigate the allegations. 

The facility of concern is the Freeman Coliseum, which is reportedly housing approximately 1,300 children who recently crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or guardian according to ABC news. Thousands of children have been moved through the facility.

Rebeca Clay-Flores, a Bexar County commissioner, said that on her visits to the facility, she saw children being well cared for. Abbott acknowledged to reporters that he had not been inside the Coliseum nor did he know the identities of those alleging the assault. 

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg called the allegations of sexual assault “disturbing.”

According to NPR, this is not the first time the topic of abuse of children near the border has been investigated. Between 2015 and 2018, the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is in charge of caring for under-age immigrants, received more than 4,500 allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. Of those complaints, some 1,300 were serious enough to refer to the FBI, but an official says “the vast majority” proved to be unfounded.