San Diego

Local Forensic Health Program Warns of Child Abuse Signs to Look For

13 children were found allegedly abused and tortured in Perris, CA

If a child is being abused or tortured, what resources are available in San Diego County? 

That's what many are asking in light of horrific findings in Perris, California, where 13 children were allegedly found abused, some shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks.

The biological parents of the children, David Allen Turpin, 57, and Louise Anna Turpin, 49, have been booked in jail on charges of torture and child endangerment. They are each being held in lieu of $9 million bail.

"The hope is that the children will have an opportunity to tell their story and that justice is served," said Christina Shultz, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for Palomar Health. 

Palomar Health has a Child Abuse Program through their Forensic Health Services Unit. 

Shultz is a forensic interviewer for the program. She says on top of forensic interviews of children, they also give physical exams to children that are victims of sexual or physical abuse. 

"We see about 300 children a year at our location," said Shultz. 

The program is headquartered in Escondido for children as young as three, teenagers and developmentally delayed adults, serving patients around the county. 

"The report goes straight to the District Attorney's Office for them to be able to prosecute," said Derryl Acosta, Public Relations Manager of Palomar Health. 

This gives the D.A. and police more concrete evidence in these cases, Acosta added. He said the program has one of the only contracts for this type of work in the county. 

"We don't want the children to feel like it is in interrogation," said Shultz. "We want them to feel comfortable: we have Play-Doh, we draw pictures, or we color pages with the kids." 

Thanks to a grant from the popular fast food chain, In-n-Out, the program is able to expand to have an educational component as well. Medical professionals go into the community to teach adults the signs of child abuse to look for. 

"If the child appears to be depressed or withdrawn or if they seem to have a detachment with a parent or caregiver," said Shultz, listing some examples that might indicate a child is being abused. "If the child seems to be walking on eggshells, these are signs to look out for." 

Shultz added any adult who sees these signs does not have to be correct to contact police or Child Protective Services. Simply making the call could save the life of a child. 

The program also trains nurses forensically by working with the Stewards of Children, a national adult-focused prevention training program of child sexual abuse.

The unique program was launched in 1984. It is one of only 54 programs in the state of California. 

It offers medical expertise 24-hours a day to assess and help young victims. Several hundred children go through the North County program each year, Shultz added. 



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