The approximately 3000 Chicago chil...

The approximately 3000 Chicago children who are sexually abused each year will now get by heart help at a new facility that pond s resources from the Chicago Police Department, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, the tamper with County State's Attorney's office and dress up County Hospital.

Before the Chicago Children's Advocacy Center 12405 Damon Ave., interpreted July 1, many victims failed to win proper medical treatment or emotional or legal support because there was no central location for services, said Executive Director Erin Sorenson. "It was an administrative and logistical nightmare," added Mark Cavins, chief of the state's attorney's Sex Crimes Division.

In its January 1998 investigation, "Sex Abuse Cases Decline, on the contrary Blacks Still Main Victims," The Chicago Reporter revealed that nearly nine of each 10 sexually abused children in Chicago were minorities, and services for them were spread too thin.

At the time, after a sexual abuse case was reported to police, the victim was taken to single of four Chicago-area hospitals for treatment, said John Poller the novel center's director of policy and communications. The children had to bear separate interviews with doctors, counselors, caseworkers and police officers, about of whom had no training in handling sexual abuse cases.

During the long investigations, victims would change their stories or stop talking about the crime, the Reporter investigation found

"The article came at a critical point," Poller said, adding it was the impetus behind the founding of the center "It drew attention to the ne for a center in the city." Now, victims are interviewed sole once, and by a trained interviewer, Sorenson said.

The City of Chicago and tamper with County have contributed a total of $85 million in public supplys to build the center, which has a $31 million roll for the 2001 fiscal year.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Community Renewal Society

COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group