ALLISON L. TURKEL - As a Senior Attorney at the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse, Allison Turkel trains child abuse professionals across the country on the investigation and prosecution of child abuse, including issues related to victims with developmental disabilities, computer facilitated crimes against children and maltreatment cases as well as on domestic violence and juvenile issues. She also provides technical assistance to prosecutors, law enforcement, child protection workers, social workers and others engaged in the investigation and prosecution of these cases. She also researches and writes on a variety of issues. Ms. Turkel is also the Chief of Training.

Prior to coming to the National Center, she served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for nine and a half years. She then was an Assistant State’s Attorney in the McLean County, Illinois State’s Attorney’s Office for a year and a half, where she prosecuted felony domestic violence cases. Ms. Turkel has also taught on the college level. Ms. Turkel graduated from Temple University School of Law in 1987. She is a member of the Pennsylvania, Illinois and New York Bar.

CHILD ABUSE CASES POSE  UNIQUE  PROSECUTION  CHALLENGES --

WHY ABUSED CHILDREN TAKE IT BACK – UNDERSTANDING  RECANTATION

By Allison Turkel,  Senior Attorney -- Chief of Training,

American Prosecutors Research Institute, National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse   

When is it a good day for a child to tell someone that she/he has been sexually abused? Especially if the abuse strikes frighteningly close to home?

Despite the common public perception that children will immediately run and tell someone if they are being abused, this is simply not the reality. There are many, many reasons that children refrain from telling someone what is happening to them; some of which are part and parcel of the inherent dynamics of the abuse syndrome and some of which are the result of skilled perpetrator manipulation or “grooming”. These are complicated relationships with which a child simply has neither experience nor ability to extricate themselves. Therefore, they often feel understandably helpless, and many simply learn to accommodate the abuse.

Once the abuse is disclosed – be it purposefully or accidentally – the wheels of the civil and criminal justice system start rolling and the impact can be profound and overwhelming for the child victim and their family. Often, the consequences that perpetrators warned of or threatened about do, in fact, come true – the perpetrator may be arrested; the child may be removed; the non-offending caretaker or siblings may blame the child for a change in status; there may be threats or violence; they may be embarrassed; and, they are often confronted with disbelief.  The child may attempt to put the world back the way it was, before anyone found out – and one way they see to do this is to retract or recant their original report of abuse.

This behavior is often misunderstood by adults who wish to believe that the abuse never occurred in the first place or who might begin to question whether the child actually wanted the abuse to end. In fact, the child typically does want the abuse to end, but never imagines the consequences of disclosure. With little or no support and not knowing any other way to “make things right” for everyone else, a child will resort to saying it never happened in the first place. Recantation should not surprise anyone, given the pressure placed on these young victims. These situations must be thoroughly investigated and the temptation to drop a case simply because the child recants must be resisted. Our first goal must be to put the child first – consider what his or her needs might be – and then to continue to pursue justice.

It is only with support, respect, therapy, love and a responsive legal system that children can heal and the possibility of reassertion and participation in the process can become a possibility. The child being able to speak about abuse must be the goal – thwarting the perpetrator’s efforts to keep it a secret. This can only happen when adults are informed and educated about the dynamics of abuse and the challenges young victims face in finding the courage to tell. 

 C