DANDRIDGE - Obviously,
the first victim in any child abuse situation, whether sexual or physical
abuse, is the child. That was the central theme of Trudy Hughes’,
executive director of the Blount County Children’s Advocacy Center,
presentation at the second informational meeting to develop a
children’s advocacy center in the 4
th Judicial
District. And, armed with the understanding of whom the primary victim
is, representative from various disciplines and parts of the 4
th
Judicial District, including Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson and Sevier Counties,
turned out to get more information on the creation and implementation of a
CAC serving the four (4) county district. Those in attendance included
the judiciary, law enforcement,
prosecutors,
juvenile court personnel, case workers, mental health
professionals,
school personnel, business people, and a host of other concerned citizens.
Barry Fain, a coordinator of the CAC efforts for Jefferson County
and a local Juvenile Court official, reflected on the meeting saying,
“Many concerned people took time out of their busy personal schedules
to learn more about the CAC concept tonight. And, many were taken aback
with the statistical breakdown for the percentage of children impacted by
child abuse in our district.” Between 6/20/04 and 6/20/05, a total of 5,334 cases of
alleged abuse were reported in the 4th Judicial District,
according to DCS records. Those totals break down as follows for the
district: Sevier – 2,088; Jefferson – 1,561; Cocke – 1,118;
and Grainger – 567.
“I think
it was very sobering”, Fain
observed, “to most of our attendees that the twelve (12) month total of
1,561 reported child abuse cases in Jefferson County constituted roughly 14%
of our children.” “And, that”, Fain concluded, “is only 1,561
of a total 5334 cases for the entire judicial district.”
Statistics on the estimated impact, using U.S. Census figures as a starting
point, were shared at the meeting. Estimates projected
the following breakdown for affected children in the counties comprising the
district: Sevier – 11.64%; Jefferson – 14.06%; Cocke – 14%;
and Grainger – 11.13%.
Kirk Lane, Regional Administrator for the Tennessee Department of
Children’s Services, pointed out to the crowd, “Twenty-eight (28)
of the 31 judicial districts in Tennessee
have a children’s advocacy center. The 4th Judicial
District is one of the only three (3) remaining without one of these crucial
centers.” Lane pointed out that the centers have been embraced so
widely, because they are so effective in protecting
and serving children, while simultaneously providing
a more solid case for the prosecution
of abuse perpetrators. As Fain
puts it, “It is a win-win situation for everyone. The child and
non-offending family members are far less traumatized, receiving much needed
treatment. And, law enforcement and prosecutors
end up with the ability to build a better case for conviction of the
perpetrators.”
A third
informational meeting will be held in Sevierville on 6/26/05 (Tuesday) from 6:00-8:00pm in the 3rd
floor meeting room of the Courthouse Annex. This meeting is open to
anyone interested. Persons interested in attending are asked to RSVP
with Donna Koester at (865) 453-2638 or Crystal Ratcliff at (865) 429-7012.
© The
Herald Newspapers - 2005
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