OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — In a letter released on Friday afternoon, District 23 District Attorney Adam Panter accused the Oklahoma Department of Human Services of violating Oklahoma law by investigating child neglect and abuse cases on their own without notifying law enforcement. Panter, who repre sents Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties, says that DHS has been investigating reports of suspected sexual or physical abuse of children on their own in many cases and determining whether the allegations are credible without informing law enforcement and child abuse experts. As a result, Panter alleges that DHS has allowed children to be placed back into the homes of their abusers. Panter goes on to say, as one example, records show DHS received 511 reports of physical abuse on children for Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties combined in 2024. However, according to Panter, records from the Child Advocacy Center of Central Oklahoma show only 64 victims of suspected physical abuse received services, which would mean only 8% of reports led to those children receiving services at the CACCO as required by law. Toward the end of the letter, Panter says he plans to formally request that Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond investigate DHS through the use of the Multicounty Grand Jury to determine if criminal charges are warranted. The full letter can be read below. DA-Panter-letterDownload News 4 reached out to DHS on Friday for comment and received the following statement. Oklahoma Human Services takes very seriously our responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of Oklahoma’s children. We remain committed to working with our partners in Pottawatomie, Lincoln, and all counties across Oklahoma. Oklahoma Human Services ...read more read less