The Department of Justice and state legislators announced a new bill package Tuesday to help district attorneys and prosecutors succeed in more cases against child abuse and neglect.

Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, and Attorney General Brad Schimel spoke at a news conference about their “Justice for Children” bill package, which focuses on improving legislation for child sexual assault, abuse and neglect cases in Wisconsin.

“We have no higher responsibility in government than to protect our children,” Schimel said.

Several other legislators helped introduce the bills, including Rep. David Hansen, R-Wausau, Rep. John Macco, R-Ledgeview, Rep. John Murtha, R-Baldwin and Rep. Travis Tranel, R-Cuba City.

Cowles said four bills make up the legislative package, which will be circulated for co-sponsorship this session.

1. The first changes current statutes to better define “intent of neglect,” so district attorneys can explain the term more easily to juries. It also created a crime out of repeated neglect of the same child.
2. The second bill also creates a new crime out of the repeated physical abuse of a single child.
3. The third bill requires any suspected or threatened abuse or neglect be reported to law enforcement, which current law does not mandate. It encourages law enforcement and Child Protective Services to work together for a more efficient combination of investigation and experience.
4. The fourth bill gives victims the right to be accompanied by a victim advocate in any step of the criminal investigation, whether it be a medical examination or interviews with law enforcement, Dominic Holt, spokesperson for Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, explained.

Under current law, police officers operate under their own discretion on whether or not to offer a survivor the option to be accompanied by a victim advocate throughout the process.

Holt said he appreciates this bill in particular because it helps not only children, but adults too. Victim advocates, he explained, are trained individuals who operate from a sexual assault service provider agency and assist survivors by being there during the criminal investigation process, to provide emotional support.

“Survivors really deserve to have the support, information and resources available to them such that they can basically, in a healthy manner, proceed through the criminal justice process as far as they wish to go,” Holt said.

Holt said victim advocates are the only individuals in the whole process whose only responsibility is toward the survivor, not another agency or organization.

Having a victim advocate, Holt explained, helps survivors cope with the process more comfortably.

Jill Karofsky, executive director of DOJ’s Office of Crime Victim Services, announced on top of the bill package a new position within the DOJ titled “Child Abuse Resource Prosecutor.” She said district attorneys often have to deal with cases relating to abusive head trauma in children, which includes complicated medical terminology and concepts. She said the new position would serve as an expert to assist district attorneys and prosecutors with tasks such as giving advice for charging decisions and preparing for trial.

Anne Schwartz, DOJ spokesperson, said the position will be filled through the state hiring process, and they hope to have the position filled by the end of the year.