In the wake of Larry Nassar’s convictions for sexually abusing scores of young gymnasts over the past two decades, many are asking how such abuse could have been allowed to continue so long despite reports of his abuse going back 20 years and a 2014 internal Michigan State University inquiry. One would think the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State would have made an impression on college officials. Apparently not.

So what went wrong? While books might be written on that subject, a number of issues arise that, for those of us who work in child protection, stand out clearly. Child protection investigators face daily situations in which a child has apparently suffered physical, sexual or other abuse, and the facts are unclear. The injury may be obvious, but the child is too young to explain what happened; or the child may allege abuse, but the parent or other caregiver claims the child is not credible. In those situations, the best way to ensure the child is protected is to carry out a full investigation and find out what happened.