- Salt Lake County district attorney urges parents to believe children reporting abuse for effective justice.
- He stresses delayed disclosure complicates investigations; 90% of abusers are known to victims.
- Sheet drive aids child abuse victims; rising cases highlight need for online safety talks.
SALT LAKE CITY — Last year, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office filed 264 rape charges.
And 82 of those charges represented victims who were under the age of 18.
But District Attorney Sim Gill says those numbers don't "fully capture the scope of the problem," as some survivors don't report their abuse until after they turn 18, meaning their cases are categorized as "adult victims."
"One of the biggest challenges of youth sexual assault and child abuse is disclosure. It is often delayed, which makes the cases more difficult to investigate and prosecute and hold offenders accountable," Gill said Monday.
That's why, for Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April, Gill is emphasizing the message to "believe your children."
"We have this approach when it comes to trauma-informed interviews is that we trust a person until there's a reason not to. So if somebody comes and explains something and it sounds wild and outlandish and you say, 'There's no way that can happen.' I'll tell you, I've worked in law enforcement for 23 years and there's a possibility that stuff is happening," said Unified Police Sgt. Rob Scott, who joined Gill and Salt Lake County Youth Services Director Carolyn Hansen, to promote the campaign.
Approximately 90% of children who are abused know the person who harmed them, Gill said. And many times the abuser lives with the victim. Because of that, the child often doesn't report being abused out of the fear of retribution, shame and guilt. And, Gill adds, other studies show that even if a child does report abuse to a parent, that parent may not believe them.
"If a child says, 'I don't want to spend time with this person, I don't want to give them a kiss,' listen to them. Don't force them to have to do that. And maybe ask a question, 'Well tell me, why?'" Scott said.
Likewise, Gill encourages parents to listen to their children and let them know their home is a safe place, even if those conversations are uncomfortable.
"Research indicates that when children are believed and supported, they are more likely to disclose abuse and engage in the criminal justice process, improving the ability to hold offenders accountable and supporting long-term healing," he said.
And if a child doesn't feel comfortable talking to a parent, Hansen says there are others, such as staff members at Salt Lake County Youth Services, who are available to listen.
"It takes a village to raise a child. It takes an entire community to save one," she said.
Gill says his office dedicates three years of continuous contact with all child victims of abuse and offers them programs such as Camp Hope. In addition, the district attorney's office and Sandy officials have teamed up to collect bed sheets during April and May to help victims of child sex abuse. Many times during an abuse investigation, detectives will need to collect a child's bedding for DNA evidence. But Gill recalled a time when a victim didn't want to go forward with an investigation because the child didn't want to part with their sheets.
"We hope the sheet drive we are holding helps raise awareness about sexual assault and the effects it has on survivors in their everyday lives, like when they go to sleep. We invite the community to come to our downtown Salt Lake City and West Jordan offices to donate sheets that can help give some relief, no matter how small, and ease the burden and stress on survivors of sexual assault," Gill said.
Gill and others also noted on Monday that cases of sexual exploitation of a minor have risen dramatically in the past year. While talking to children about safety at home, he said those conversations with parents should also include protecting them from online predators, whether it be on a phone, laptop or gaming device.
