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Child Abuse Unit
The Unit consists of specially trained Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys and Child Advocates who insure that children and other special need victims are professionally and respectfully treated. All of the Unit's cases are vertically prosecuted (the same Assistant Prosecuting Attorney handles all stages of the prosecution) whenever possible. Among the cases that are handled by the Child Abuse Unit are:
- Assaults, physical abuse, or sexual abuse of children 12 or younger (The age limit applies to the age of the complainant at the time of the warrant request, not at the time of the incident)
- Sexual assaults of victims between the ages of 13 and 15 years old (The age limit applies to the age of the complainant at the time of the warrant request, not at the time of the incident)
- Individuals with a mental impairment
- Individuals with other special needs, such as sight, speech, or hearing impairments
- Internet crimes involving sexual abuse
- Homicides of children if they relate to child abuse issues
- Cases where a child 12 or younger is a necessary witness at exam or trial
- Cases where an adult leaves a loaded gun accessible to a child whether or not there is any injury or death
- Cases where a child is left alone in a motor vehicle
- Individually selected cases that do not meet the above criteria, but need similar special attention.
To report a child abuse case the following steps must be taken:
The crime must be reported in the city where the crime occurred. If the crime happened in Detroit, it should be reported in the district where the crime occurred.
A police investigator will contact you regarding the report and do the following:
- Personally interview the child victim or arrange a Kids—TALK Program interview
- Complete other necessary investigation
- Determine whether a warrant request should be submitted to the Prosecutor's Office
- When a warrant request is received by the Prosecutor's Office, a specially trained child abuse prosecutor will review the warrant and do the following:
- Assign a Child Advocate to the case
- Determine whether the offender should be charged with a crime, and if so, which crime(s)
- If the prosecutor authorizes the warrant, the case begins.
Child Advocates give support to the child and family members and also provide information about:
- Court dates
- Court procedures
- Your rights
- Counseling referrals
Contact Information
|
Prosecutor's Office Child Abuse Unit |
(313) 224-8082 or (313) 224-5857 |
| Prosecutor's Office Juvenile Court Division |
(313) 833-3300 or (313) 833-3107 |
| Child Protective Services |
(800) 716-2234 |
| Detroit Police Department Child Abuse Unit |
(313) 596-5329 |
| Detroit Police Department Sex Crimes Unit | (313) 596-1950 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What do I do if I learn my child has been sexually or physically abused?
Q. My child just told me that he/she was sexually abused. Should I take my child to a doctor or hospital for a medical exam?
Q. What will happen after I make a police report?
Q. Who will interview my child?
Q. My child and I need counseling. Where can I go?
Q. What if I don't want to prosecute the perpetrator?
Q. What should I do if I've reported the abuse to the police, but have not heard from them?
Q. Who can I call if I have other concerns?
