HADLEY, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — From the Northwestern DA’s Office:
Northwestern DA’s office renames unit handling child abuse cases
In recognition of its essential work to protect children in the region, the Northwestern District Attorney’s office has renamed a special unit created in 1987 the Child Protection Unit.
“It’s a better name for what we have been doing since the unit’s inception. We work with community partners and within the criminal justice system to protect children,” said Northwestern Assistant District Attorney and Child Protection Unit Chief Lori Odierna. “We protect them from current abusive situations and potential future harm.”
The unit was formerly known as the Child Abuse Unit. Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan on Thursday acknowledged the name change in remarks at an event held in Hadley to mark Child Abuse Awareness month, held annually in April.
“This new name makes sense because prevention is so important to what we do,” said Sullivan. “Education and awareness about the dangers children face and a sense that protecting children is the responsibility of all of us is the only way we can truly protect children.”
In recognition of the unique nature and challenges posed by crimes against children, the NWDA’s Child Abuse Unit was created in 1987. The unit’s mission is to protect children by preventing abuse and neglect through awareness and education, and prosecuting crimes to hold offenders accountable.
ADAs and Family Service Advocates in the unit receive special training to work with child victims using trauma-informed approaches. The unit works closely with law enforcement and the Children’s Advocacy Centers based in Greenfield and Northampton, which serve the entire Northwestern District. Working as multi-disciplinary teams, the collaboration with child protective organizations seeks to make traumatizing experiences less so, in order to set victims on a path towards healing.
In addition to prosecution of cases, the unit educates the community to prevent abuse by offering trainings on mandated reporter requirements and conducting reviews in all cases of child fatalities to recommend policy and practices that will better protect children. This Child Fatality Review team is mandated by state law for all district attorney’s offices in the state.
In 2023, the unit opened 359 cases involving 411 child victims, filed criminal charges against 144 defendants, and resolved 136 child abuse cases with either changes of pleas or trials.