In The Criminal Justice System, sexually based offences are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as The Special Victims Unit. These are their stories!
Prologue
20th January
A child of about twelve hadn't spoken for about two years, no one except her father knew why, but there was no way he was telling anyone. The family held a dark secret, one which needed to be exposed for the safety of the child involved.
The child in question, who was called Charlotte, was not a violent type, but one day she just lost it at her father. She went for him and hit him over the head with a dining room chair.
When her father awoke, he called 911 and Detective Fontana and Detective Green arrived. After assessing the situation, asking Charlotte's father what happened, and trying to ask Charlotte what happened, Detective Fontana pulled out a pair of handcuffs and placed them on Charlotte. He said, "Charlotte Marshall, you are under arrest for attempted murder, you have the right to remain silent, if you give up that right anything you do say will be given in evidence. You have the right to an attorney present, if you can not afford one, one will be proved for. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"
Charlotte remained silent, even through the interview, finally Lieutenant Van Buren lost patience with her and called the Assistant District Attorney, Serena Southerlyn to see if she could get anything out of her. Charlotte remain stubbornly silent, even after Serena had told her, "Charlotte, I can't help you if you don't talk to me."
Finally she too lost patience with Charlotte and walked out. Serena walked out to where Lieutenant Van Buren was and said, "She is being stubbornly silent, I wonder why?" Lieutenant Van Buren said, "She refused to even say anything to Detectives Fontana and Green." The ADA said, "As she is twelve years old and it appears deliberately went at her father with a dining room chair, I have no choice but to send her to a Detention Facility. And I am afraid that it is going to have to be Rikers because she is of an age where if we can prove she knew what she was doing at the time, we can charge her as an adult."
Lieutenant Van Buren said, "We'll hand the case over to Special Victims in the morning, to see if they can get anything out of her, but in the meantime, she will have to go to Rikers.