Working with the System

Then system is responsible for protecting children and holding offenders accountable. The more information and cooperation you give to the MDT, the better job they can do on the case.

Support people are available to help you. If a Child Advocate is assigned to your case, she will be sympathetic and familiar with child sexual abuse and the legal system. She is available to your at any time. A Victim Service Officer (VSO) at the DAs office is also available to keep you informed about the status of the case, help you work through the legal system and aid you in obtaining financial assistance, if you are eligible.

Here are some basic tips for working with professionals in the system:

~ Be calm and reassuring to your child. Don’t coach your child on what to say. It is important for the story to come from your child’s words and in your child’s own time.

~ When you are asked for information, try to provide as many facts as you can. Cases are built on the four W’s: who, what, when, and where. Don’t try to guess if you don’t know the answer to a question. It is much better say you don’t know.

~ On the other hand, your feelings are important. Feelings are valuable in giving investigators insight, so tell how you fell and why you feel that way. Although only facts are allowed in court, feelings can help give investigators ideas on how to proceed.

~ Always be honest, even though the truth may not seem favorable to yourself or others, in the long run, you will be much better off.

~ Try not to over react. It is a difficult time and emotions are probably running high. Losing control can hurt the case and overshadow the needs of the innocent victim, your child.

~ Love, support, and protect your child at all costs. If the alleged offender is a significant person to you, it can be very difficult to balance your feelings for him with the need to protect your child. Remember that your child has only you to make healthy, protective decisions.

~ Cooperate. You will probably feel as if the investigators are prying into your personal life but this is necessary and vital to the case and your child’s welfare. The sooner the facts come out, the sooner the case can be resolved and you can return to a more normal life.

~ You may feel that investigators do not care because they avoid showing emotions. In fact, investigators do care, and part of that caring involves remaining objective and calm in the case of extremely emotional situations.