Overview
Child Abuse cases are prosecuted by the Sexual Assault Unit. The unit handles the felony prosecution of physical abuse and child endangerment by adult offenders against minor children.The unit also handles all felony physical abuse cases against minors.
Prosecution
The prosecution of these cases begins after a police investigation is completed. The police agency then presents this unit with the results of that investigation in the form of police reports. At this time charging decisions are made.
The unit is a vertical prosecution unit, which means one Deputy District Attorney is assigned to the case from the beginning to the end. This enables more effective prosecution as the prosecutor has an in-depth knowledge of the case. In addition, this allows for a better relationship between the victim and the prosecutor.
Confidentiality
The unit makes every effort to respect confidentiality requests of victims, and to deal with these cases in as sensitive and respectful a manner as possible.