As the years passed with no answers about what happened to her son, Patty Wetterling found hope in the stories of other missing children who had made it back home. “I would do anything to protect my children and all of these children,” Patty told ABC News as she thumbed through old newspaper clippings.
Organizations and individuals from all across South Dakota made their way to Sioux Falls Thursday, meeting and discussing plans to combat child abuse in the state. Not only are more resources and training needed, more people overall are needed to help work towards a solution. Victor Vieth, CPO for Zero Abuse Project, stepped up as the first keynote speaker of the conference. His message to those in attendance is for more education for people like teachers, doctors, and more to help better spot and prevent abuse.
After seven years of on-and-off-again writing, a memoir entitled “Dear Jacob: A Mother’s Journey of Hope” that was co-written by Patty Wetterling – Co-Founder of Jacob Wetterling Resource Center – and Joy Baker will be published and released October 17, 2023.
The team at Zero Abuse Project is excited to share our quarterly CAST newsletter!
Listen to the discussion about the new Netflix documentary, “Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America,” and its impact on the community of survivors featuring actor and advocate Anthony Edwards and Zero Abuse Project staff and Board members.
Hancock County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Aimee Herring was one of a handful of professionals across the state invited to present at the Indiana ChildFirst Forensic Interview training as a part of Zero Abuse Project’s National Forensic Interview Training — a five-day, 37-hour course. “When we come to the table with the common goal of protecting children, we can all learn something from each other,” Herring said.
San Francisco’s Roman Catholic archdiocese filed for bankruptcy Monday, saying the filing is necessary to manage more than 500 lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by church officials.
On Sept. 6, Netflix will debut “Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America,” a documentary about how one of the largest youth organizations in the U.S. — with over 700,000 members — tried to cover up one of the most widespread child sexual abuse scandals in history. The project will prominently feature Zero Abuse Project Board member, Detective Michael Johnson.
Zero Abuse Project recognizes that training is not often available around forensic science and evidence collection; in response, the organization has created a resource that empowers law enforcement and prosecutors working child maltreatment cases.
In the past couple of years, the University of South Dakota has seen its first groups of students earn certificates with CAST, where participants get a deeper understanding of child maltreatment and how to respond. The University of South Dakota’s Department of Social Work Chair Kelly Bass is the director of the new program. He said integrating realistic cases through simulation has helped USD’s model see some early success.
Today, a settlement was announced in the Diocese of Syracuse bankruptcy case on behalf of hundreds of survivors of child sexual abuse who courageously came forward to file claims in the Diocese’s bankruptcy case. The $100 million settlement includes contributions from the Diocese of Syracuse, the Diocese’s parishes, and other entities affiliated with the Diocese.
This publication explores best practices in child maltreatment evidence collection, alongside highlighting new considerations for child abuse evidence recognition and investigative collaboration.
Five members of Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations were charged with child sexual abuse by the Pennsylvania’s attorney general on Friday, following a yearslong investigation into allegations of sexual abuse in the religious community. READ MORE
The team at Zero Abuse Project is excited to share our quarterly CAST newsletter!
Listen to a 2-part interview with CAST Director Tyler Counsil, and read a Q/A with podcast host and survivor, Rachel Stone.
A shocking investigation by the Illinois Attorney General has found that nearly 2,000 minors were sexually abused by Catholic priests in the state over 69 years, outlining the desperate need for trainings and resources to assist those victimized by abuse within the faith community. READ MORE
States weigh child abuse reporting vs. clergy’s duty of confidentiality States weigh child abuse reporting vs. clergy’s duty of confidentiality States weigh child abuse reporting vs. clergy’s duty of confidentiality States weigh child abuse reporting vs. clergy’s duty of confidentiality Zero Abuse Project staff speaks to the necessity of mandatory reporting in the faith community in a new story centering
In a new article revealing decades of abuse often enabled by other spiritual leaders within the faith community, Zero Abuse Project‘s Victor Vieth speaks about the ways in which purity culture and religious themes may be used as a means of normalizing and justifying the grooming patterns of an abuser. READ MORE
Governor Wes Moore has signed legislation which eliminates the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse, effective October 1, 2023. The bill was signed days after the release of the Maryland Attorney General’s report documenting the sexual abuse of over 600 children by priests and others within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. READ MORE
Teams of law enforcement officers, child advocates, prosecuting attorneys, doctors, and others who investigate sex crimes against children received a special training from Zero Abuse Project’s signature forensic interview program, ChildFirst. The event was the first in-person version of this crucial training to happen in-person in Indiana since the pandemic began in 2020. READ MORE
Menlo Church leadership acknowledges abuse from decades ago A Menlo Park megachurch is apologizing for several instances of abuse from decades ago that “had not been addressed in a way that honored the survivors at the time” after information about them was unearthed in recent years and in the aftermath of a 2021 investigation by Zero Abuse Project. READ MORE
The team at Zero Abuse Project is excited to share our quarterly CAST newsletter!
This publication is a practical companion to our treatise on Child Statement and Forensic Interview Admissibility. The publication synthesizes case law, state statutes, and hearsay exceptions, into 11 basic strategies for prosecutors to admit forensic interviews and child statements into evidence.
This new publication explores the nuanced techniques necessary for cross-examination in child abuse cases. The guide provides 22 techniques split into four categories ranging from fundamental to advanced tactics. Each technique includes sample lines of questioning for easy adaptation by frontline prosecutors.
Zero Abuse Project is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to the elimination of child sexual abuse. Our programs are designed to provide training and education to professionals and students, and to help transform institutions to effectively prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse.
