CEASE continued its commitment to providing high quality and trauma-informed advocacy for survivors of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking during the 2024 fiscal year. The clinic provided direct legal services to more than 55 survivors across 17 counties in Georgia, 13 of which were rural or legally underserved areas. Dozens more survivors received indirect…
CEASE Director Emma Hetherington Published in NYU Brennan Center for Justice’s State Court Report
“…if a state cannot be held accountable for failing to prevent foreseeable harm to children, then what incentives do child welfare agencies have to provide diligent care to children who have been forcibly removed from their families and placed in the legal custody of the state?” In her article for NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice’s…
NCVRW Series: What does it mean to be survivor- or victim-centered?
We all have the ability to help victims and survivors of crime. While the specific services or assistance you can offer may vary depending on your role, your knowledge and expertise, or your organization, the basic principles of survivor-centered care can be implemented by anyone. In keeping with this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week…
NCVRW Series: What does it mean to be trauma-informed?
We all have the ability to help survivors and victims of crime. While the specific services or assistance you can offer may vary depending on your role, knowledge, expertise, and organization, the basic principles of trauma-informed care can be implemented by anyone. The key is to be not only trauma-informed, but trauma-responsive. In keeping with…
CEASE’s Brian Atkinson Helps Fill the Gap in Georgia’s Vacatur Law for Survivors of Trafficking
Yesterday Governor Kemp signed HB 1201 into law, which fills in a gap left by the Survivors Act of 2020 where victims of trafficking convicted of offenses directly related to their victimization could seek vacatur for those convictions, while survivors who pleaded under Georgia’s first offender act could not obtain the same remedy. What’s not…
Telling Survivor Stories: Best Practices Guide
As part of our National Crime Victims’ Rights Week series, the Wilbanks CEASE Clinic has created a 2-page guide to outline best practices for sharing survivor/client stories in a manner which: Is client-led, survivor-centered, and honors clients’ autonomy; Is trauma-informed and culturally humble; Protects client privacy; Does not cause harm or compromise client safety; Avoids…
Survivors Awarded $345M in Darlington School Sexual Abuse Case
On April 15, Floyd County Judge Adele Grubbs awarded $345 million to 20 survivors of child sexual abuse which occurred at Darlington School in Rome, Georgia between 1977 and 1988. Five insurance companies who provided coverage to the school are responsible for payment of the awarded damages. In addition, the settlement includes an apology from…
2024 CEASE Conference – Register Now
Courageous Advocacy: A Lawyer’s Responsibility in Combatting Child Sexual Abuse, Exploitation, and Trafficking Join us for an empowering conference aimed at advocates for survivors of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. This event will delve into the crucial role lawyers and advocates play not only in representing clients and survivors, but also in upholding the integrity…
National Human Trafficking Prevention Month
January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, but the law school’s Wilbanks Child Endangerment and Sexual Exploitation (CEASE) Clinic is committed year-round to increasing awareness and education on human trafficking, making resources available to assist individuals and communities impacted by human trafficking, and building diverse public-private partnerships to support a more comprehensive response to prevent…
CEASE Clinic at The Summit
CEASE Clinic Staff Attorney Brian Atkinson and Social Work Advocate Jocelyn Crumpton recently led a workshop at The Summit, a statewide, multi-disciplinary conference designed for child welfare professionals to share best practices and collaborate across professions. This year’s Summit was attended by 650 individuals working in child welfare – case managers, lawyers, judges, policy makers,…