WI- Out of the Shadows, Part 1: Confronting sex crimes in our community

6-24-2009 Wisconsin:

Bringing justice to perpetrators of child sexual assault is a process that can be filled with revelations, tears, torn families, in-depth investigation and prosecution.

It is also a process that may never begin due to shame and confusion.

The stigma confronted by victims complicates the mission of those in Fond du Lac County who confront such crimes.

About 80 to 90 percent of all sexual assaults are never reported, said Nichole Hall, Wisconsin Department of Corrections sex offender registration specialist.

The statistic means the caseload handled by Devra Ayala — the Fond du Lac County assistant district attorney specializing in sexual assault and domestic abuse cases — and her colleagues may be only a small sampling of the child sexual assaults occurring in the community.

When children do articulate what has happened, they are using words they are taught are taboo and must recall violations that are private, Ayala said.

“In any case where a child is able to come forward and have the strength to face their assaulter and say, ‘That person did this to me,’ I am always impressed how strong they are,” Ayala said.

Victims who have yet to step forward are often “groomed” to not share the “secret” or are shameful of assaults, said Lt. Bill Flood, head of the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department’s detective bureau. He added some perpetrators groom the victim’s family members to build trust.

“With shame comes silence and sometimes that silence can carry on for years, even decades, before it is disclosed,” Flood said. “A lot of times it will be disclosed through some kind of counseling session or to a close friend under a set of circumstances. There’s the problem that family friends or family members perpetrate many sexual assaults. There’s a great deal of confusion that can go on in the mind of a young person.”

No more shame

Angel Gilbertson, client advocate and volunteer coordinator at Assist Survivors Treatment Outreach Prevention Inc. (ASTOP), has dedicated herself to assisting children through the court process and helping them with “lawyer language.” Through the organization — an outreach center for sexual assault survivors and affected family members — she lends her ear to victims who choose to disclose information or have a need to talk with someone.

Even though she and others involved would prefer not “revictimizing” the child because some must relive that trauma and retell their story in court, it is a step needed to hold the offender accountable, said Gilbertson.

“I cannot brag or speak highly enough for the individuals that do come forward because they are very brave souls to tell their story and to share the shameful secret that the perpetrator had,” Gilbertson said. “It’s not the (victim’s) shameful secret to carry.”

Gilbertson also thinks of the children who never step forward.

“For me, (unreported cases are) disappointing. It’s heartbreaking because we know all this sexual violence is going on in our community,” Gilbertson said. “For every one report we get of sexual assault, there are at least 10 that go unreported. That’s a lot of children that are not able to access services to get the appropriate help that they need.”

One in five boys will be sexually assaulted by the age of 18, said Gilbertson. Those boys are more likely to never report due in part to a majority of sex offenders being men.

“For males, they have that ego piece where they feel that if they’ve been assaulted, they should have been able to fight them off, so they feel bad about that,” Gilbertson relayed. “Another thing that they question: ‘Are people going to think that I’m gay?’”

Gilbertson holds presentations in the community and in the behavioral health unit at St. Agnes Hospital, where participating men can speak with boys in attendance.

Family issues

Gilbertson said she has seen family members who are supportive when a child steps forward. However, she also acknowledges cases in which the first person to whom the child disclosed the victimization did not believe the claims.

“I’ve seen (a case) go to court and the child has taken the stand and testified against a stepfather and the mom sat on the stepfather’s side the entire time throughout the court case, even upon the stepfather taking the plea agreement,” Gilbertson said.

Ayala said she must place the family dynamic at a lower priority than making sure children are not continually harmed, especially in a home where they should feel safe.

“When someone comes forward and says, ‘This person has (sexually assaulted) me,’ and they have a story that is plausible and believable, legally and ethically I have to go forward on it,” Ayala said. “I can’t be concerned that parent X is going to be mad at me for accusing parent Y. That’s not something I can worry about. I have to worry about if the child is being harmed by someone within the home. I have to make sure that person is held accountable. My first priority is to make sure justice is done.”

Flood said his detectives approach sexual assault cases with as much sensitivity and discretion as possible. Law enforcement knows the emotional changes parents can go through, but officers are obligated to investigate possible crimes.

“All we can do is be as informative as we possibly can, as up front as we can and we really need to preach restraint on the part of the parents whose loved one may have been victimized,” Flood said. “Let us do our job. Let us take care of things.”

Flood noted Victim Sensitive Interview Protocol interviews, which take place at the Fond du Lac Police Department, are key to interviewing children typically under the age of 12. The interviews are videotaped in an effort to keep the child from testifying in front of the alleged perpetrator.

Police interviewers communicate with investigators and members of Fond du Lac County Department of Social Services through an earpiece and are not involved with the case further to keep the interviewers buffered from other aspects of the investigation, said Flood.

Gilbertson said that people should not question if a sexual assault happened or not, especially with a child.

“I suggest contacting your local law enforcement and having them conduct the proper interview,” Gilbertson said. “You could literally be saving a child’s life.” ..Source.. by Russell Plummer • The Reporter