LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Today, District Attorney Mark D’Antonio announced that the 3rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office has received a grant from the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department which will be used to improve the prosecution of child abuse cases in Doña Ana County.
D’Antonio said, “It shouldn’t hurt to be a child. That’s why protecting kids needs to be everyone’s top priority. This grant gives us additional resources to prosecute those who try taking advantage of our community’s most vulnerable population.”
The $8,500 grant will be used to improve the assessment, investigation, handling and prosecution of child abuse cases including cases involving sexual abuse.
Money from the grant will also pay for the implementation of a new, centralized training curriculum that can be used to reform state laws, ordinances, regulations, protocols and procedures.
The grant also gives the district attorney’s office enough money to send a prosecutor to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force’s national training conference.
D’Antonio added, “Finding ways to shield kids from online predators is an ongoing problem and we have to keep up with the technology. If we don’t, predators will continue to find new ways to target our community and that is not acceptable.”
Between July 2014 and June 2015, CYFD in Doña Ana County received more than 4,500 reports of physical abuse, sexual abuse and physical neglect. To report child abuse or neglect, call 1-855-333-SAFE (7233).
Information from Third District Attorney's office