By Sara Castillo, Bilingual Family Advocate
Recently, a family came to the Children’s Advocacy Center with their 14-year-old daughter who had been impregnated by her offender. The offender was introduced to the victim by another minor in the community. The police became aware of the situation due to a verbal altercation between that minor and the victim's parents.
During the forensic interview, Interviewer Wendy Diaz was able to provide the space for the victim to disclose what had taken place, along with learning about the interactions she had with this offender prior to the abuse. During the interview the victim also verbalized wanting additional support. Her Advocate connected the family to CAC’s Mental Health Services, and the victim began working with one of our therapists to process the trauma she endured.
Days after the forensic interview, Detective Ramos, the law enforcement partner on the case, reported that the offender had been charged with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. As many cases never even make it to the charging stage, this was incredible progress toward holding the offender accountable. While the road to justice is long, this development feels like an initial win for the victim from the Advocate's perspective.
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