DeKalb County leaders join for Hands Around the Courthouse to end child abuse

DeKALB - DeKalb County area leaders from a local nonprofit and the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court gathered on the courthouse lawn Thursday to advocate for an end to child abuse.

The Hands Around the Courthouse event was hosted by CASA DeKalb County, a nonprofit which advocates for victims of child abuse. Since 1983, April has been known as Child Abuse Prevention Month. During Thursday’s event, three DeKalb county officials spoke about the importance of honoring survivors of abuse and working to galvanize community resources to better aid those suffering.

Hands Around the Courthouse is one of many national events held for survivors of child abuse and celebrates the work done to improve the response to victims of abuse and neglect.

Jill Olson, executive director of CASA DeKalb County, said the DeKalb County Courthouse’s improvements over the years means more can be done to advocate for abuse survivors.

“Back in the day when the courthouse was a little smaller, not two big buildings, we used to try and stretch ourselves as close as we could get,” Olson said.

A blue ribbon was presented at the end of the the gathering for all in attendance to honor the children in DeKalb County who have suffered from abuse and neglect.

Marcy Buick, circuit judge for the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court which includes DeKalb and Kendall counties, said she has spent many years in the in county court house presiding over child abuse cases. She spoke about her time on bench sentencing people convicted in child abuse cases.

She said often, abuse can become cyclical.

“In the vast majority of these cases when I review their pre-sentence investigation, that report reflects that he or she has experienced some sort of neglect and abuse as a child,” she said.

Buick said DeKalb County is fortunate to have many agencies and organizations devoted to aiding children in such situations.

“[It’s] The need to remedy and protect the children from what has already happened to them and nurture to the extent that we can,” Buick said. “So that they heal physically and emotionally, and can go on to live a happy and fulfilling life.”

Assistant State’s Attorney Suzanne Collins spoke on behalf of the DeKalb County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the work prosecutors do for those who’ve been abused.

“We can try our best to stop this but the most important thing we are doing is being here and the awareness,” Collins said. “It is the hardest job in the world for these kids to know what to do. We try to help them navigate. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, but we are never going to stop trying and we are going to be the voice for these children.”