DA hosting Crimes Against Children Conference

Barbara Romo, the 13th Judicial District attorney, is hosting the inaugural Southwest Crimes Against Children Conference Aug. 23-24 at Santa Ana Star Casino and Hotel.

The conference will bring together representatives from law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, child and victim advocates, social workers and members of the court in a collaborative conference setting to share best practices and knowledge, receive training in new aspects of the law, investigative techniques and protocols and prosecutorial approaches to improve prosecution and judicial handling of cases of child abuse and neglect in New Mexico.

Topics include managing mental stress and exposure to trauma, how to properly conduct forensic interviews with sexual assault offenders, techniques in cross examining, privacy rights and utilizing court facility dogs.

“This conference was conceived from a career-long passion for helping bring justice to children who have been victims of crime,” Romo wrote in a welcome letter. “I have learned much in my 25-plus-year career specializing in prosecuting these crimes, and I have always eagerly shared this knowledge with prosecutors, law enforcement and other professionals. In that spirit I want to continue to share this knowledge and experience as well as that of others and this conference is intended to do just that.”

The free two-day conference aims to build a collaborative approach to cases from investigation to prosecution including practical and interactive instruction can only result in better outcomes, especially for the victims.

The keynote speaker will be Victor Vieth, the chief program officer of the ZeroAbuse Project. Vieth has trained thousands of child-protection professionals from all 50 states, two U.S. territories and 17 countries on numerous topics pertaining to child abuse investigations, prosecutions and prevention.

“My hope is that you will leave this conference with renewed inspiration and the tools, knowledge and resources needed to successfully tackle these difficult but rewarding cases,” Romo wrote. “No children should have their childhood tarnished, trampled and stripped away at the hands of those who abuse them. Every child deserves a childhood filled with joy, laughter and love. This conference is born out of this belief and hopefully will bring our communities one step closer to this goal. I dedicate this conference to all victims — past and present — and to all the professionals like you who have dedicated their lives to helping children.”