Chaucie Quillen was born on September 3, 1974. She grew up in Carmel, where she excelled in both academics and athletics. It seemed Chaucie had a wonderful life. In reality, her father had been sexually abusing her since she was 11 years of age. Chaucie found the courage to report her abuse when she was 18. Her father was prosecuted, but after a two-week trial the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The case was subsequently resolved through plea negotiations and Chaucie’s father received a sentence on charges of sexual battery. The strain of her abuse by her father and the inability of the legal system to adequately address her case took its toll and on December 26, 1995 Chaucie took her own life. Everyone involved in Chaucie’s case wondered what could have been done differently and how to prevent this outcome from happening to other victims of abuse in Hamilton County. The solution: CHAUCIE'S PLACE.
What is Chaucie’s Place?
Chaucie’s Place is where caring, protection and healing come together. It is a center that provides a unique approach to the investigation of cases of abuse and neglect of children in Hamilton County. Chaucie’s Place is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit child advocacy center in Hamilton County. The center opened its doors on April 30, 2001 and has since served nearly 2,400 local children. The purpose of our facility is to provide a child friendly atmosphere for the investigation of allegations of child abuse and neglect. The center provides a location for members of a multi-disciplinary team to come together and perform a forensic interview of a child who is alleged to be a victim of abuse or neglect. The objective is to provide a quick, professional response by law enforcement, child protection services, and the prosecutor’s office to a case, so the trauma to the child can be minimized and an appropriate course of action to the specific case can be charted expeditiously. We are in Hamilton County to make a difference in the life of an abused child!!
The Goals of Chaucie's Place are:
- To reduce the trauma to child abuse victims
- To expedite investigations by eliminating repetitive interviews
- To build stronger cases for prosecution while minimizing the negative impact of the process on the child
- To train professionals and community members on child abuse intervention, treatment, and prevention
- To increase interagency collaboration in Hamilton County
- To educate and raise awareness of the public concerning issues surrounding child abuse