The Child Abuse Unit was established by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office in 1983 in response to growing public awareness of the urgent need to protect children and to prosecute those who harm them. The Essex County Prosecutor recognized that specialized law enforcement personnel with the desire, knowledge and experience to work with children were needed to accomplish this objective. What has evolved is a group of highly trained professionals who in some instances investigate cases exclusively, and in other cases assist Federal authorities, municipal police, medical professionals and the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) in their detection and investigation of these sensitive cases.

This unit handles the highest volume of child abuse cases of any county in New Jersey. The nature of these cases include:

• sexual abuse
• physical abuse
• child endangerment (abuse, neglect, cruelty and abandonment)
• child pornography
• parental kidnapping
• interference with custody
• luring
• lewdness

The sexual abuse cases involve children less than 13 years of age at the time of occurrence (although they may be reported later). In year 2003, the Unit began to handle the sexual abuse of all children under the age of 18 years. The Unit also handles physical abuse and neglect of all children under the age of 18.

The Unit consists of investigators and prosecutors specially trained in the investigation and prosecution of these cases, with the overriding goal always being protection of the children. It is the mission of this unit to continue to provide service to child victims and their families and to effectively prosecute their abusers. Cases come to the Child Abuse Unit by way of a "referral". Referrals come from a number of different sources, though the largest number of referrals come from the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). By law, DYFS is required to report all cases of suspected child abuse to the Prosecutor's Office. Other sources of referrals typically include local police departments, medical professionals, private citizens and even anonymous calls.

Generally, after a referral is received and preliminary reports are reviewed by this unit determination is made as to whether this unit will handle the investigation exclusively, or refer the case to the local municipality for investigation. This Unit also conducts joint investigations with local police and with Federal authorities when the case involves child pornography on the Internet. The decision as to which agency(s) will investigate often depends on the age of the case at the time of the referral, the nature and seriousness of the case, or whether the referral is an emergent matter that requires an immediate response.

There are a number of instances where local police departments investigate cases and make arrests before referring the matter to the Prosecutor's Office. This Unit will prepare the case for presentation to the Essex County Grand Jury and then for trial. Many times Grand Jury preparation includes taking witness statements, processing forensic evidence, executing search warrants, and if necessary, originating additional charges.

Members of the Unit are available to DYFS and the local police departments 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. Notifications are made through the Sheriffs Department after hours. An Investigator from this Unit will respond to the crime scene, the hospital or the police station when:

• Serious injuries to children who are not able to effectively communicate due to their age (e.g., battered baby syndrome, fractures other than accidental, burns other than accidental)
• Injuries medically determined to be life threatening (injuries having been caused by abuse)
• Hospital admissions for medical reasons
• Sexual abuse of a child.

In 2006, the Child Abuse Unit opened 672 investigations. A total of 223 cases were carried over from the previous year, and 127 cases were presented to the grand jury. There were 105 true bill indictments and 22 no bills. Three "no-bill" cases were remanded to municipal court.

WYNONA M. LIPMAN CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER: The Child Abuse Unit of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office is an integral part of the Winona M. Lipman Child Advocacy Center, and is co-located in the Center's facilities at 185 Washington Street in Newark. The purpose of the Center is to formulate a multi-disciplinary approach to the investigation of cases of child abuse. The philosophy of the Center is that the "Child Comes First". This multi disciplinary approach was developed in response to a concern about the adverse effects that multiple interviewing of children was causing. Since a child had to be interviewed by several agencies once a report of child abuse was made, children were being forced to undergo numerous interviews regarding the abuse. This, in effect, re-traumatized the child. The team approach limits the number of interviews by having the child recount the details of the abuse to one primary interviewer. Also present outside the interview are the professionals from the other agencies who are able to view the interview and pose necessary questions to the child through the primary interviewer. Hopefully this approach will reduce the stress suffered by the child who is being subjected to the criminal justice system. This method will then result in a more successful prosecution of the offender. (Click here to see more about what the Wynona Lipman Child Advocacy Center means for children who have become victims of abuse).

In July 2000, members of the Child Abuse Unit along with an Intake Unit from DYFS moved into the new offices at the Lipman Center. Videotaping equipment was purchased and installed with support from a federal grant. A week-long training session was given in conjunction with the Lipman Center. At that session, staff from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, DYFS, and the Regional Diagnostic C were trained by nationally recognized professionals on the interviewing of children and offenders. The Center had its grand opening in October, 2000. In 2007, the Center e moved to a new and larger location on Washington Street in Newark, in conjunction with the Wynona's House service organization, which provides on-going human and social support to child victims and their families, as well as a variety of community outreach meant to promote awareness of and prevent child abuse.

The Lipman Center's services are initiated when DYFS or any law enforcement agency refers a child alleging abuse. The child is interviewed on videotape by a specialized interviewer specifically trained to work with abused children and skilled in obtaining information necessary for law enforcement and prosecution. The interview allows the law enforcement officials, child protective services workers, pediatricians and mental health personnel to view the child's disclosure and initial reactions without having to further traumatize him or her with repetitive interviews. It also preserves the child's account of events to be used in court proceedings and has been useful in confronting non-believing caretakers. Often the outcome of a child's case depends on the initial forensic interview, which is the reason that a quality interview by a trained professional is imperative.

Depending upon the results of the initial interview with the child, he or she may require a medical examination and assessment by the Lipman Center's medical staff. The Lipman Center collaborates with Essex County Regional Diagnostic and Treatment Center for Child Abuse and Neglect at Children's Hospital of New Jersey (RDC), whose physicians have extensive training in both pediatrics and issues related to child abuse. Through the compilation of the child's medical history and the examination, evidence may be obtained and stored for the potential prosecution of the alleged perpetrator. The physicians also provide basic, preventative healthcare services to ensure the complete recovery of victims of child abuse.

Without proper intervention and treatment, sexually abused children are at risk for severe psychological problems. The Lipman Center collaborates with the RDC to provide children and their families with the treatment necessary to heal from the effects of the trauma. The RDC's clinical services team is comprised of a clinical director, a clinical supervising psychologist, a bilingual supervising psychologist, 5 psychologists, 3 social workers and 4 Ph.D. candidates. These professionals are all experienced in working with children and family members who have been affected by child abuse. An individualized treatment plan is created for each child utilizing information not only from psychological evaluation, but also information gathered through visits with child, his/her family and other key individuals who interact with the child on a regular basis.

The Lipman Center has implemented a twenty-four hour, seven-day a week on-call schedule for its investigative staff, thereby ensuring that all child abuse victims will be treated with the best care and concern, regardless of when they are victimized or choose to disclose.

Two committees have been working to make the Center a reality. The Management Committee has been in existence since 1999. The Chief Assistant Prosecutor and Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor responsible for oversight on the Child Abuse Unit sit on the Management Committee. It is made up of highly placed supervisors from the various agencies.

Starting in December 2000, the Child Abuse Unit began videotaping the interviews of children under the age of 13 who have been sexually abused. A primary interviewer from law enforcement conducts the interviews while members from DYFS and the RDC sit in a monitoring room nearby.

In 2007, the Child Abuse Unit opened 649 child abuse cases and completed 638 cases; 161 cases were pending at the beginning of the year, and 172 cases were pending at the end of the year. In 295 cases, criminal charges resulted, and 51 cases were referred to other agencies for criminal prosecution. A total of 269 defendants were charged by complaint, and two more were presented directly to the grand jury. A total of 81 defendants were indicted on criminal charges, and 29 defendants had criminal charges downgraded to disorderly offenses.

For more information on the topic of child abuse in Essex County, please see Frequently Asked Questions.