Print this story |
E-mail story |
This story has 5 comments | Add your own |
iPod friendly | Bookmark this
What is this?
Child abuse growing in Chilton County
Published Thursday, January 15, 2009
Over the past five years, the number of physically and sexually abused children in Chilton County has doubled.
This growth has brought some attention to the Child Protect Children’s Advocacy Center in Montgomery. The center is a place where physically or sexually abused children are taken to be interviewed about their situation. The center has professionals who are video taped with the children and make decisions including whether the child was abused or wasn’t.
“We have been working with Child Protect for many years now. We have to travel down to the center in Montgomery sometimes as much as twice a week to have children interviewed,” Chilton County Department of Human Resources Director Marilyn Colson said. “When it comes to the children, it is very important that they be interviewed right the first time because every time you interview a child it affects them.”
Due to the rise in abused children in Chilton County, the Child Protect center in Montgomery is working with community members to bring a satellite office to the county.
“This office would be a great help to everyone in the community including us here at DHR and local law enforcement,” Colson said.
Jana Conlee, Child Protect counselor, said there is a great need for a local satellite office in Chilton County.
“We have been working on getting this done for some time now, and we are trying to have everything completed within a few months,” Conlee said. “Our goal is to try to have the satellite office completed by this summer.”
The group is now working on setting up fundraisers to raise money for the new office. Anyone wanting to help can make donations to Child Protect, 935 South Perry Street, Montgomery, AL 36104. Conlee asks that anyone writing a check to Child Protect identify what they are giving the money for by stating “Chilton County Satellite Office” on the check.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS STORY?
Comments
Posted by not_so_fast (anonymous) on January 16, 2009 at 9:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A big factor people over look in a story like this is the validity of the cases. Just becasue there is an increase in cases filed does not mean the cases are valid or the alagations are true. Child abuse does happen. However, child abuse is the one type of crime where a person is "guilty" until proven otherwise. Adults hear of the child abuse charge/s and automatically assume the person is guilty reguardless of the facts unless they personally know the person and then there's no way the act could have been done. Personal opinion rather than facts usually win or lose these cases. Even the prosecuter has a wider allowance to lead victims in court and to get the witness to tell what is wanted to hear versus what is true. I wish someone would tell me happend to "Innocent until proven beyond all resonable doubt guilty". Without facts, witnesses, and concrete evidence a case is invaild. Just my opinion anyways.
Posted by gardenkeeper7 (anonymous) on January 16, 2009 at 10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thorsby School offers a child abuse prevention program each year. The S.K.I.P. (Safeguarding Kids is Priority) program teaches children how to protect themselves from sexual abuse from people they know as well as how to protect themselves from sexual predators who are strangers. The elementary teachers (K-5) are trained presenters who teach this for 1 week to their students each year. A child who has been sexually abused is scarred for their entire life. Their spirit is robbed and their future is overshadowed by guilt and shame. Since child abuse involving sexual abuse is rampant in our county, perhaps prevention programs, such as the S.K.I.P. Program should be a required part of the school curriculum. Prevention is the key. As a county, we need to be proactive rather than reactive in this issue. Parents or educators who are interested in the educational material used in the S.K.I.P. Program at Thorsby School can visit www.childluresprevention.org to find out more about how to protect our children.
Posted by gardenkeeper7 (anonymous) on January 16, 2009 at 10:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Correction on the website above www.childluresprevention.com
Posted by Care4GodsEarth (anonymous) on January 17, 2009 at 6:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is important that evidence be gathered correctly and thoroughly so that children are protected, and the innocent are not convicted unjustly.
Posted by blueyedgirl777 (anonymous) on January 17, 2009 at 5:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As one who is very familiar with the child advocacy centers, this article unfortunately gave the wrong impression in some ways. The child advocacy centers have neutral interviewers and they do not make decisions about whether or not a child has been abused. The interview at the advocacy center is one piece in the puzzle. Investigators are present to hear the statement of the child at the child advocacy center and then do a thorough investigation afterwards to corroborate the information that the child has given the interviewer at the child advocacy center. This is a very serious crime to be charged with, so special care is taken especially in these investigations. And whoever said that some are falsely accused - you are correct. This happens sometimes, but no more than false accusations of any other crime. Also, the one who said that this must be proven "beyond a reasonable doubt" that is true. However, that is the case with all crimes. During these investiagaions, ONE person is NOT making the decision about whether or not a child has been abused. That is the incorrect information given in this article. I also know that the interviewers at the child advocacy centers are specially trained and do NOT lead the child if they are doing their jobs correctly. The are not "counseling' the child, they are getting factual information during the interview. Enough said. . .
Post a comment (Terms of Use Policy)
(Requires free registration.)