Camilla

Camilla was first interviewed at Baltimore Child Abuse Center  in regards to suspected sexual abuse, at the age of 18 months.  The referral was made by her childcare provider. Her language skills were not at the time fully developed and she was unable to provide any verbal information regarding the situation, but during the interview her behavior was that of a young child who was anxious/traumatized.  The BCAC treatment team arranged for continued mental health treatment for Camilla and provided training and counseling services for her parents, in order to develop a safety plan for Camilla. BCAC's Treatment Team continued to follow up with Camilla's parents and therapist.   Based on the training that BCAC provided, her parents, working in cooperation with her therapist, were able to determine that Camilla displayed anxiety and fear when around a specific family member. Camilla's parents notified the police, and the family member confessed that he sexually abused Camilla at the age of 15 months.

Today,  Camilla continues mental health treatment, and her therapist reports that she has made significant improvement. Camilla's story is an example of how an entire community (childcare providers, the child's family, police, BCAC and therapists) are able to work together to protect a child.