SPECIAL VICTIMS BUREAU

 

SPECIAL VICTIMS BUREAU

The Special Victims Bureau investigates and prosecutes sexual assault cases, regardless of the age of the victim, and also investigates and prosecutes incidents of harm to children who are under 13 years of age at the time that the perpetrator is apprehended, including cases of physical abuse and homicides. Assistant district attorneys in the Bureau are trained in dealing with these especially vulnerable victims, and the Bureau works closely with the Office’s Victim Services Unit.

The Bureau’s work is survivor-centered, with Victim Services Unit counselors focused on providing survivors with what they need to recover and feel safe. Accordingly, prosecution decisions are informed by what survivors want. When a survivor wants to go forward with prosecution, the bureau uses a range of enhanced investigative techniques. These techniques are particularly important in cases of acquaintance rape because they allow the Bureau to successfully prosecute even when—as is often the case—there are no other witnesses.

CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS UNIT

The Child Abuse Investigations Unit investigates allegations of physical and sexual abuse of children.  In addition to investigating crimes reported directly to the police, the unit also investigates reports that have been referred by the NYC Administration for Children’s Services, the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the NYC School District, as well as reports originating from other agencies and jurisdictions.  The Unit investigates thousands of suspected abuse reports made through the New York State Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment and works closely with the Brooklyn Advocacy Center.

The KCDA Child Abuse investigations Unit is a member of the Multidisciplinary Team at the Jane Barker Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center.  This MDT partnership is comprised of expert professionals involved in the joint investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse.  Our Assistant District Attorneys are specially trained in forensic interviewing of children.  We work in conjunction with the Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center to help reduce trauma to child victims of abuse and provide meaningful support and services to child victims and their families.

The Child Abuse Investigations Unit provides ongoing training to the New York City Police Department, the NYC Administration for Children’s Services, hospitals, and schools to educate the community on the detection and prevention of child abuse.

If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, please report any incident to the NYS Central Register at 1.800.342.3720.  If you know of a child in immediate danger, call 911.

CAMPUS SEXUAL ASSAULT RESPONSE INITIATIVE

Created in March 2017, the Brooklyn DA’s Campus Sexual Assault Response Initiative (CSARI) is a subcommittee of the Brooklyn Sexual Assault Task Force.  CSARI works proactively with college students and administrators to raise awareness of sexual assaults on campus, protect and support student survivors and foster cooperation among schools and law enforcement.

As part of the initiative, the DA’s Office works with campus officials to improve and institutionalize a coordinated response to campus sexual assaults, enhancing reporting and investigation while ensuring an appropriate, comprehensive response.

The initiative’s task force works to connect every campus survivor to the comprehensive services of the Office’s Victim Services Unit, even in cases which do not result in criminal prosecution. Early access to complete services enhances the investigative process while minimizing any additional trauma from involvement with the criminal justice system and ensuring that victims are fully and accurately informed as early as possible.

For more information on the Campus Sexual Assault Response Initiative, call 718-250-5264.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING UNIT

The Human Trafficking Unit(HTU) vigorously investigates and prosecutes those who, through such means as physical force, fraud, and/or psychological coercion, have forced individuals into sex trafficking, child sex trafficking, and labor trafficking. The HTU uses best practices to actively investigate all forms of human trafficking through data-informed, victim-centered, evidence based, and multi-disciplinary approaches.

The HTU and Safe Horizon Co-Chair the federally funded Brooklyn Human Trafficking Task Force (BKHTTF), a multi-disciplinary team focused on addressing human trafficking in NYC by bringing together law enforcement, service providers, research institutions, and civil society.

The BKHTTF provides Human Trafficking 101 training to community members on the signs of human trafficking and how to report the crime through the DA’s Human Trafficking Hotline. The training also includes how family members, concerned citizens, coworkers etc. can assist potential victims by accessing social services through the Human Trafficking Hotline.  The HTU also provides advanced training for law enforcement agencies, NGO’s, healthcare providers, financial industries, and government agencies to increase identification, to address barrios in policy and practice, and to increase collaboration across disciplines

For more information about the Human Trafficking Unit and the BKHTTF, click HERE.

Human Trafficking Resource Guide

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