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October 23, 2004

Officials learn to deal with abuse

Training covers endangerment, sexual abuse

By NIKKI PATRICK
Morning Sun Lifestyle Editor

Sometimes it's not easy to be a child.

Dependent upon the care of parents or other adults, their trust is sometimes betrayed by those who should love them most. That's when the law and social service agencies have to step in.

A six-hour training seminar was held Friday for law enforcement officers, social workers, and others who deal with abused children. It was sponsored by the Pittsburg Police Department, the Children's Advocacy Center Inc. and the Crawford County Sheriff's Department.

Law enforcement and social services are all needed to work on the problem of child abuse, said Sandy Morris, Children's Advocacy Center executive director.

"The multidisciplinary team is crucial," she said.

One in three girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday, according to Traci Faucett, a detective in the Crawford County Sheriff's Department.

"Thirty percent of the victims are under the age of 12, and we see a lot of victims under the age of 5," Faucett said. "Some of the perpetrators target younger children because they're not very verbal - they can't tell."

While parents warn their children against strangers, she said that 85 to 90 percent of the victims are abused by somebody they know, such as a relative or family friend.

"Only about 15 percent of the children disclose, and in only 5 percent of the cases do we find physical evidence of the sexual abuse," Faucett said.

Megan Husted, training specialist with The Farm Inc., advised looking for clusters of physical and behavioral indicators if it is suspected that a child has been sexually abused.

Physical signs could include symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases in the child; urinary tract infections; or pain, itching, bleeding or bruises in or around the genital area.

Behavioral indicators could include loss of appetite, nightmares and sleep disorders, extreme withdrawal or aggression, and sexual knowledge beyond the child's age.

"If a 5-year-old girl attempts adult sexual intercourse with her 2-year-old brother, that's a pretty good sign that something has happened to that little girl," said Mike Willis of Community Mental Health of Crawford County.

Youngsters who have disclosed sexual abuse, or are suspected of being victims, speak to trained forensic interviewers at the Children's Advocacy Center.

The center is seeing more and more children.

"In 2002 we did 82 interviews, and in 2003 we did 119," Morris said.

It's very important to establish a rapport with the child, Faucett said.

"Ask them about school," she said. "If you have to sit on the floor with them, sit on the floor."

The Children's Advocacy Center interviewers use the "Finding Words" interview method, she said.

"Learn the child's terms for body parts so that you can arrive at a common language," Faucett said. "Start with the head and go down - do not start with the private parts. And throw out the idea of 'good touch and bad touch.' Ask if the child gets hugs and kisses. Who gives you touches, and do you like those touches?

"Don't ask leading questions, but do offer an alternative hypothesis. Ask if anybody other than the alleged perpetrator touches them in that way."

Angela Trimble, Crawford County assistant county attorney, offered some suggestions for those investigating child abuse cases.

The public may have unrealistic expectations, she warned, which come from watching the popular TV series "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

"On 'CSI' they have all that equipment and they wrap up the case in an hour," Trimble said.

She advised investigators to think outside the box.

"Don't ask the same questions of each victim, because each case is different," Trimble said. "Corroborate everything you can. If the child says that the perpetrator was drinking beer, ask what kind, was it in a bottle or can? Ask what color the couch was. Then go and take a photo of the beer in the refrigerator and that couch. If you show that the child was telling the truth about those details, it tends to corroborate the rest of their story."

Any computers that the alleged perpetrator has access to should be checked for child pornography.

"If it's found, I can charge them with something else," she said. "Thursday I had the misfortune of looking at some pornography for an upcoming case, and 'disgusting' is the mildest thing I can say. If you need a warrant, come and see me."

Child abuse investigators should also take a look at the condition of any pets the suspect has.

"If they'll abuse a pet, chances are they'll abuse a child," Trimble said.

A presentation on drug endangered children was given by Steve Rosebrough, KBI special agent with the Southeast Kansas Drug Enforcement Task Force, and Faucett.

The KBI asked Rosebrough to develop a program for drug-endangered children because of the huge number of meth labs in southeast Kansas.

He said that in the past when a warrant was executed against a meth lab, the main focus of law enforcement was on "catching the bad guys."

"If there were children present, we'd call Grandma who lives up the road to come and get them," he said. "We didn't treat the children as victims, which is what they are when they're trapped in that toxic environment."

Since the program was started in January 2003, 19 children have been cared for.

"Now if there is a child found in a meth lab, these parents will always be charged with child endangerment," Rosebrough said. "And as of this year, child endangerment is no longer a misdemeanor, it is now a Level 9 person felony."

One of the first drug-endangered child cases he worked was in Pittsburg, he said.

"Somebody reported a weird smell, which turned out to be ether," Rosebrough said. "You could smell it out on the street in front of the apartment. Ether is very flammable, more so than gasoline, and the slightest spark will set it off. So, when the guy answered the knock on his door, he was smoking a cigarette. We got him out and extinguished it."

Upon going inside, the investigators found two small children asleep in a bedroom.

"The meth was being manufactured in the bathroom right across from the children's room," Rosebrough said. "This was January, but the window in their room was up, to draw the ether out of the apartment."

In addition to toxic fumes such as ether and anhydrous ammonia, children are also endangered by the other chemicals used in making meth.

"Often they store them in pop bottles, and a lot of the same kitchen utensils they use to fix a family meal they also use for cooking meth," Rosebrough said. "When they're making meth, the safety of their children is the last thing on their minds."

Youngsters taken from meth labs are first decontaminated and given a complete change of clothing. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, new clothing is available for drug endangered children.

Children are taken by ambulance to a hospital to be checked out.

"I'll talk to the parents and ask how many times they manufactured meth in front of the kids and what chemicals they used," Rosebrough said. "This way, I can tell the doctor what to look for."

Noxious fumes can damage a child's lungs, while other chemicals such as red phosphorus may cause severe burns. Liver and kidneys can also be damaged.

Children are also at risk from the addicted parents, who may be too impaired to properly care for their children.

"Meth addicts can also become very moody and react violently to something like a child spilling milk or having a dirty diaper," Rosebrough said.

After children are checked at the hospital, they can be placed elsewhere.

"Any more, I tend to recommend that a child first be placed in a foster home," Rosebrough said. "I'm not against family placement - after the family has been thoroughly checked out by SRS."

Faucett has so far worked three drug-endangered child cases.

"All three children were very congested when they were found," she said. "One child's congestion cleared up as soon as she was removed from that environment. Another child was found to have a severe respiratory infection, although the mother had assured me that the child was just fine."

The first child, she said, insisted that Faucett ride to the hospital with her in the ambulance.

"I had to hold her all the way," she said.

Sometimes she has worked with children who haven't yet been decontaminated.

"But I'm not going to shun a child," Faucett said. "If a child needs a hug, he or she gets a hug, and so far I haven't had any problems. We work for God, and we just have to trust everything will be OK."

Posted by Nealus at October 23, 2004 12:45 PM

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