Sex assaults on children a secret epidemic

Sex assaults on children a secret epidemic

July 28, 2001

by Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

For some children, the monsters are not under their beds — they’re in them.

Since the beginning of 2001, the Four Corners Child Advocacy Center of Cortez has extended its services to 31 local children who have allegedly been victims of sexual abuse, according to the executive director of the center, K.C. Harmon.

The number, as high as it may seem, Harmon cautioned, does not encompass all sex crimes perpetrated against children in Montezuma County, as many are handled through Social Services and numerous others go unreported.

For instance, since the beginning of the year, just 12 sexual assaults have been reported to law enforcement in the entire county, Harmon said — eight in Cortez. Those numbers include both child and adult assaults.

One of the most horrifying occurred in March, when a Cortez man, Joseph Stuckman, was accused of a full sexual assault on a 8-month-old infant. She sustained critical injuries and was airlifted to Denver Children’s Hospital for surgery, after which she was expected to recover.

Harmon said that, although the sexual-assault numbers might seem high, they are actually typical.

"Compared to other rural areas, state and national statistics, it’s not unusual what we’re seeing here," Harmon said. "Sexual abuse is a widespread problem."

One of the perpetuating problems with sex crimes committed against children is that people are uncomfortable addressing the issue openly, Harmon said.

"No one wants to talk about these horrible things that are happening to our children, but what they don’t realize is, it is happening right next door or even in their homes," she said. "The community needs to know what actually happens — not necessarily case-specific — but they need to know what people are capable and what they’re doing to our kids. Yeah, it is unpleasant but people tend to look away and not want to deal with it. "

Sexual abuse transcends every age group, ethnicity, economic level and gender, statistics show.

Of the 31 primary victims helped at the advocacy center, more than half were under the age of 10. The numbers were almost evenly divided between boys and girls.

Perhaps one of the most startling statistics is that most sexually abused children are victimized by someone they trust, Harmon said.

"The majority of perpetrators are close family members — moms, dads, aunts, uncles and mom’s boyfriend," she said.

Adding to the complication is society’s tendency to take the word of an adult over that of a child.

"We tend to not believe the kids," Harmon said. But more often than not, she said, children are telling the truth when it involves something as serious as sexual abuse.

"There is nothing easy about a child disclosing abuse. It will probably make their home life more stressful. There’s nothing good that comes from a kid having to reveal an assault."

Once a child has reported sexual abuse, he or she is not always supported by the non-offending parent — sometimes because the parent is afraid of being left as the sole provider for the family if the perpetrator is sent to jail, and sometimes simply because the reality is too hard to face, Harmon said.

"Unfortunately many times the mothers are not supportive of the children and chose to support the perpetrators," she commented. "Even when the proof is there, some people still deny the reality of it."

Once a sex crime has been reported against a child, it is often trying to see the case through the judicial process.

"The sexual-abuse cases are really difficult to prosecute, but they’re also difficult to investigate because a lot of the time it is the child’s word against an adult."

Additionally, a lack of community education about sex crimes against children can create a poor jury pool.

"Community education about child sexual abuse and what the signs, symptoms and long-term effects are what we really need to focus on," she said. "We can educate people who are called to serve on a jury so they know why a child may be telling this horrible story but show no facial expressions. Sometimes I don’t think juries understand the dynamics of abuse and why a kid can talk about it like they’re talking about an everyday event."

One myth that people have about trials involving sexually abused children is that the victims will be further traumatized by giving testimony, Harmon said. But there are several options that prosecutors can use to minimize stress, such as closed-circuit television testimony and forensic interviews conducted at the advocacy center.

"There are all kinds of things that can be done to make it easier on the children," she said. "Motions can made so that the defense has to address the child in a child-friendly manner."

The center also offers a "court school" where children can learn what a trial involves,

Regardless of the measures that can be taken after the fact, Harmon said the community needs to take a proactive approach to child sexual abuse.

"I think one of the things we could use here in Cortez is a child-abuse task force. Everybody gets excited over the drug task force and anything that has to do with drugs — I think we really need a child-abuse task force.

"And, as a community, one of the things we can do is rally around our children and be vigilant and listen to our kids when they tell us about something that may have happened to them."