BOSTON, March 23, 2016—In recognition of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley announced a series of events in April to raise awareness of child abuse, honor survivors, and help victims through the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County.
Among the events planned is the 3rd annual Ginormous Climb to raise funds for the CAC on April 2. Volunteers from Conley’s office, Boston Police, and other organizations will climb the 60-story stairwell of 200 Clarendon, formerly the John Hancock Tower. Last year’s climb raised more than $100,000, far exceeding the event’s $75,000 goal. This year, Conley hopes to top that amount again.
To learn more about the Ginormous Climb, including how to take part, visit http://climbforkids.suffolkcac.org/default.asp.
The money raised will support the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County, which acts as a hub connecting children who have been abused, neglected, or exploited and their non-offending caregivers with a myriad of services in a child-centered environment. This allows victims to meet with police, prosecutors, medical and mental health clinicians, social service providers, and others at one location, reducing the number of times a victim must disclose the abuse and limiting the number of agencies he or she must visit for services. Last year alone, more than 1,500 reports of child physical and sexual abuse were referred to the center.
To learn more about the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County, visit www.SuffolkCAC.org.
Also in April, photos from the groundbreaking exhibit “Now You See: A Celebration of Courageous Kids” will be displayed in locations throughout Suffolk County, with local officials and dignitaries posing with the images as part of a social media awareness campaign. Each of the images in the nationally recognized “Now You See” series – created by Jacqueline Lamont, Conley’s chief of youth safety and outreach and a forensic interviewer with the office’s Child Protection Unit – depicts the eyes of an abuse survivor accompanied by his or her own words of support and encouragement for other victims. Officials including Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Police Commissioner William B. Evans, U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, and representatives of such agencies as international law firm DLA Piper, Massachusetts General Hospital, and 103.3 AMP Radio – a sponsor of the Ginormous Climb – will each display an image from the “Now You See” series and pose with that image in a photo. The photos will be posted on social media throughout the month as part of a campaign using the hashtag #nowyousee.
To learn more about “Now You See,” visit http://www.suffolkdistrictattorney.com/now-you-see/.
Suffolk prosecutors and advocates will be joined by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh as they honor approximately a dozen abuse survivors and their families at an April 12 Bravery Ceremony, recognizing child victims and adult survivors for their courage and resilience in disclosing abuse and helping to hold offenders accountable.
“Due to the nature of child abuse cases, the public is largely unaware of the trauma these children endure or the courage they hold through it all. Events like these allow us not only to highlight the strength and resilience of survivors, but also to continue our efforts to protect vulnerable children and achieve justice on their behalf,” Conley said.
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All defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
