“Right now, prevention is being done by volunteers,” said Emily Cole, an advocate who has been coordinating the Darkness to Light program to help people recognize child abuse. “We need a center which would pull all the pieces together and provide one place for prevention, intervention and treatment. If we have an advocacy center, it’s going to make it easier.”
Cole said several people have agreed to serve on a founding board of directors for a child advocacy center. In addition to Cole, other members include Vickie Fulbright, Charlene Harrod, Rep. Dustin Hightower, Jill Hesterlee, Sheriff Terry Langley, Carrollton Police Chief Joel Richards and District Attorney Pete Skandalakis.
One of the services the advocacy center would provide is forensic interviewing of child sex abuse victims. In preparation for future provision of these services, the Carrollton Police Department this week hosted a training session to learn how to interview children. It was attended by representatives of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Villa Rica Police Department, Carrollton Police Department, West Georgia Rape Crisis Center and residents.
“Local children, many from our home school environment, volunteered, with parental permission, to attend last Tuesday and be interviewed for about 10 minutes while training attendees practiced their skills,” Cole said. “They learned how to develop rapport with children, how to assess developmental stages and how to ask different styles and types of questions.”
Richards said the proposed advocacy center is something this area has needed for a long time.
“Right now, if we have a child that needs to be interviewed because of a sexual assault, we have to send them to Scottish Rite in Atlanta or Twin Cedars in LaGrange,” Richards said. “What we’re looking for initially is an advocacy center that can do these forensic interviews.”
He said law enforcement officers aren’t used in forensic interviews, but he had city officers attending the training sessions so they could understand how the interviews are done. He said community trained people would do the interviewing at an advocacy center.
Twin Cedars, mentioned by Richards, operates the Children’s Advocacy Center of Troup County, a program similar to what organizers want here.
According to its website, the Troup County center in LaGrange, was established in 2003 “to serve the abused and neglected children of Troup County in a safe, healthy and child-friendly environment.” The center has two trained and on-site certified forensic interviewers, who know how to question children with non-leading techniques which are legally sound.
The Troup Center said it provides a safe environment for evaluation of child abuse cases. It is a member of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Georgia.
Reginald Lathan Sr., my father and abuser, raped, drugged, beat and enslaved me and others without compassion. February 18th, 2013 he left another message threatening children that he has victimized. He has made false police reports with the intent to scorn the children he has molested recently. For the past 3 months our lives and that of my children and others involved have received numerous threats of harassment from Reginald Lathan Sr and his employee Rolisha Lathan. It is rewarding to see that the Oak Mountain Academy, along with other schools will receive training on signs of child abuse and Pedophilia behavior.
Reginald Lathan Sr is very familiar with the students and staff of Oak Mountain Academy. Unfortunately, it has gone undetected that he is their very threat. There is a child that understands the harm he has caused to Oak Mountain Academy. That child is a student there and also one of many victims left in silence.
The average pedophile will molest 354 young boys and girls in their lifetime. Reginald Lathan Sr has based his career around hundreds of children yearly, for the past decade. The community has the right to protect their children. The community has the right to be armed with the facts. I compel anyone to verify the facts of my statements. The documentation is overwhelming. The community need to understand why haven't Reginald Lathan Sr been restrained from their children.
For the past 3 months there has been numerous reports made. Although the threat of our children's well being has not been a priority to all. The Child Advocacy Center is the first of its kind in this community and I hope Reginald Lathan Sr is the last pedophile to be applauded as a pillar of the community.
One million dollars is nothing to One million voices.
our children are priceless.
our children are not for sale.
tacewhocares.wordpress.com
"Thru A Child's Eyes. WHO CARES?" Sharnae Lathan
sl@tacewhocares.mygbiz.com