Locke Beefs Up Investigation Of Wenatchee Sex-Abuse Cases

An ombudsman looking into the actions of state social workers in the Wenatchee child sex-abuse investigations is getting more help.

Gov. Gary Locke has ordered the hiring of four new investigators to help speed up the investigation by Vickie Wallen, the state’s Family and Children’s ombudsman.

Wallen has said that her inquiry of the Department of Social and Health Services workers in Wenatchee would stretch into early next year.

Locke ordered $100,000 from his emergency fund - an account more often tapped for flood relief - to pay for the new investigators.

The governor also clarified his instruction to DSHS regarding adoptions of children taken from parents who were among those arrested in the controversial sex-abuse investigations. DSHS Secretary Lyle Quasim had been ordered to halt all adoptions of the 17 children whose parents have had their rights to them terminated, and the estimated 21 others who remain in state custody.

“The governor has been told that there were no adoptions pending, but he instructed Secretary Quasim that they are to take no actions until the governor has had a chance to get more information,” said Locke’s chief of staff, Joe Dear.