The Children’s Advocacy Center of Northwest Georgia has seen an increase in child victims of abuse, in the first half of 2021.
The Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit advocacy center, which covers Walker, Catoosa, Dade and Chattooga counties, has conducted 175 forensic interviews in 2021, compared to 107 in 2020 and 154 in 2019 in the same time-frame. By the end of the year, it is projected that 350 will be conducted which would be the highest number ever.
Like others across the nation, the center works with local law enforcement and other organizations with specialized care for young victims. Forensic interviews allow children to sit down with trained interviewers and tell their stories, while a member of law enforcement watch from another room.
The number of reported incidents in Northwest Georgia has created a strain on resources and a need for another counselor at the Children’s Advocacy Center.
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