Child Abuse Unit

 As part of the office's Family Protection Bureau, the Child Abuse Unit is a team of prosecutors, victim witness advocates and child interview specialists dedicated to the investigation and prosecution of cases of child sexual abuse, serious physical abuse and child exploitation.

Based upon the fundamental premise that children have the right to be safe and protected from harm, the Child Abuse Unit works in conjunction with the Middlesex Children's Advocacy Center (MCAC) and is dedicated to minimizing secondary trauma to victims by streamlining the handling of cases of child abuse.  Their multi-disciplinary team approach reduces the number of investigative interviews and court appearances for the victim, allows for services to be more quickly and effectively coordinated for the victim and their non-offending family members, and ensures that the team has the appropriate information to reach a result in each case that is in the best interest of the child.

For more information about our services, including forensic interviewing, referrals for mental health services, referrals for medical evaluation, and sexual assault evidence collection services, please visit the MCAC website: http://middlesexcac.org.

Mandatory Reporter Training: As of January 1, 2010, mandated reporters who are professionally licensed by the Commonwealth are required to complete a training to recognize and report suspected child abuse and neglect.  The Massachusetts Legislature has designated doctors, nurses, child care providers, teachers, guidance counselors, and others as mandated reporters. This online training was designed to help mandated reporters who work in Middlesex County and who work with children who reside in Middlesex County:

• Understand their legal obligations as mandated reporters
• Recognize possible signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect
• Know how to respond to a child who discloses abuse
• Know how to file a 51A Report
• Understand what happens after a 51A Report is filed 

Although anyone who suspects a child is being abused or neglected can and should file a report with the Department of Children and Families (DCF), mandated reporters are required by law to do so. By the nature of their work, mandated reports are often the first people to see signs of or be told about abuse and neglect.  DCF receives over 75,000 reports of abuse and neglect a year.

It is a crime for mandated reporters to fail to file a 51A Report if, in their professional capacity, they have reasonable cause to believe a child is being abused or neglected.  The name of a reporter is kept confidential unless ordered by a court.

The website can be found here. The training is free and available to anyone with Internet access.

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