DA touts child advocacy center help
Published 6:00 am Wednesday, January 14, 2009
One of the most difficult things about being a prosecutor isseeing child victims, District Attorney Dee Bates told theBrookhaven Noon Lions Club Tuesday.
Bates addressed the group about some of the frustrations facedby those in the office of a prosecuting attorney, but he stressedthe point that the hardest cases to deal with are the ones thatinvolve children.
Bates said the Southwest Mississippi Children’s Advocacy Centerin McComb plays a pivotal role in helping both law enforcement andchild victims in the aftermath of a crime.
“There are more sexual assaults on children than we can imagine,the problem is just that people don’t want to talk about it,” Batessaid. “The child advocacy center can put a child in what we call aforensic interview where they ask general questions to get astatement from a child who has been physically assaulted or hasbeen a witness to a violent crime.”
The interviews are recorded on audio and video media, Batessaid. That not only helps investigators in solving the crimes, butalso helps counselors know how to help the children deal with thetraumas they’ve experienced.
“The important thing is that the children can get treatment andtalk to someone other than their father and mother about it,because it’s so important to obtain outside counseling,” he said,adding that even if the parents are not involved in the crime, it’sstill sometimes hard for children to open up in front of theirparents.
Bates said child abuse cases can be hard to prosecute for otherreasons, too, because sometimes there are two witnesses: The childand the accused abuser.
“So many times you’ve got a child’s word against an adult’s,” hesaid. “And for some people it’s hard to decide who to believe,especially when so many times the mother will be on the side of theperp. That’s why it’s very important that we continue to work onthese cases.”
Another shocking statistic, Bates said, is how many young malesare victims of sexual assault in today’s world. He said parents’minds are geared to think their sons are safe, while they tend towatch their daughters more closely.
“You’re more likely to allow your son to go somewhere to spendthe night than your daughter,” he said. “Unfortunately that meansour sons are easier prey. All these cases just break yourheart.”
Meanwhile, Bates said, a prosecutor simply has to present thefacts as they are and hope the jury does the right thing.
“Prosecutors can’t talk about the Golden Rule,” he said. “Wecan’t say, ‘What if this happened to you, or to your child?’ Wejust have to hope the jurors go back there and say that.”
The Southwest Mississippi Children’s Advocacy Center also offerscounseling to victims of sexual abuse, and can be reached at601-684-4009.