My 5 year old came forward on March 5th That another child in his class was reaching into his pants under his underwear and touching his penis each time he was in this class. The offending child and him sat alone at the table, clearly out of sight. He was trapped because he was afraid of disrupting class and afraid of the other kids, laughing if they knew what happened. The disturbed child realized this and continued it each day they were in this class. The year was 2/3 of the way over before my son told me with so much shame in his eyes. I am a mandated reporter I take all measures to protect my children. How could this happen??? After disclosure, I could barely breathe or function, and yet I knew that he needed me. It felt like one of those bad dreams, where the monster is chasing you, but your legs don't work and you can't run. He needed me to move fast to protect him and yet I was paralyzed.  My husband is in complete denial to this day, he can't face it and he can't understand how a five year-old could do anothing this serious. My son is completely traumatized. He says that seeing the child or his backpack or even the classroom makes him feel the yuck. For weeks, He screamed and cried over small things, acted out, hit us, kicked us, climbed on top of the stove, Lost all ability to sit still or focus. There was no doing homework. He was unrecognizable. I felt that I lost him for good. My sweet, calm, well-adjusted, extroverted, intelligent, perfect little boy. I didn't know who he was. Still, he had moments of laughter and happiness, and strangely he still requested to go to school. He almost seemed adamant to not be ostracized from his friends and his class and was willing to endure the discomfort in order to feel a sense of control. My son wasn't the only one harmed. He identified a second child affected (who identified 2 more). Thank God that mother reached out to me because it was the only validation I received through any of this. He was also highly affected and traumatized. Both of us called all the authorities. The response of the school was essentially denial, the response of the police department was essentially denial. The response of DCF was essentially denial. This is where my PTSD comes in. No one was there to protect my son, the ill child who is clearly sexually abused and acting this way nor any child in that classroom. They all minimized and blew it off. I cried hard when DCF dropped the case because it wasn't an "in home complaint" and the allegation was denied.  The School clearly didn't want any knowledge of the incident to get out and they conducted their investigation in that manner. They buried it. All the interviews Were designed to fail at gaining information. The Superintendent refused to notify the other parents in the classroom of a general incident of touching so they could do a deep check in with their children. They refused to move that child out of the class. And my son insisted he wouldn't be ostracized. I was stuck sending him everyday with an in class "separation" plan and watch him come home a mess. Just last week as the investigation dragged on, I finally pulled him and said "we are starting summer early!". The investigation completed on Friday although it was completely minimized they did determine that the child will be moved out of my son's class. And now, after a taste of quiet and safety at home, he does not want to go back. Additionally, the offending child is very well integrated, and the most important parts of our Community. Including our community center and summer camp. I'm so lost and confused on what to do. I just wanna move away. I feel like everything here has been stolen from us the school that we loved, The community center, the camps...

what's worse? My own husband can't face the reality of how severe this has affected our son. It wasn't a single instance. It occurred all year, and he has so much shame and so much "disgust". My husband senile seems to be causing the deepest wound. I'm not sure why, but it makes me feel completely disoriented.  I'm not sure why it's so hard on me but anytime he discloses a new detail, I stay in bed and I can't function for a few days.  My husband ignores me, he thinks I'm crazy and he thinks it's no big deal. He is OK with helping with logistical stuff like fighting The School for a protection, but it's more out of support for what I'm requesting and not because he believes it's necessary. I'm pretty sure that Our marriage won't survive this. That will only makes things worse. I don't have any family or friends who get this. I do have paid support through therapists. And my son has the absolute best drama informed. The therapist is the biggest godsend. We are blessed to afford it. That I can thank my husband for. Honestly, I don't know what I'm looking for here, I just don't wanna be alone anymore. Alone up against a broken system, alone in protecting my son, alone in every decision To keep him safe, alone in my home. He needs me and I'm not ok. (No thoughts of harm) just fully broken