Gloucester County Prosecutor Announces Creation of Special Victims Unit (SVU)

Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles Fiore announced on January 22, 2019 the creation of the Special Victims Unit (SVU) within the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office to uphold and strengthen the Prosecutor’s Office commitment to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Upon assuming leadership of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office in 2017, Prosecutor Fiore undertook a comprehensive review of existing services, and in response, has created a unit whose primary focus will be to investigate, prosecute and provide services to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

The SVU will primarily handle all reports of sexual and physical abuse against children, all missing children reports, allegations of human trafficking, allegations of adult sexual assault, and domestic violence.

The key areas of positive change include focused leadership, training, policies and facilities.

Prosecutor Fiore states “We have made incredible progress in moving forward with the Special Victims Unit. With the creation of this unit, we have ensured that we are deeply committed to doing all that is necessary to ensure that survivors feel safe as they come forward and share their experiences. While I am extremely proud of our track record since my appointment as County Prosecutor, I have wanted to strengthen our efforts and abilities, and the creation of the Special Victims Unit will help us achieve that objective.”

“Additionally, to assist us in our efforts to offer beneficial services to victims, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office has been awarded funding through a Department of Children and Families competitive grant to expand the current Child Advocacy Center (CAC) so it can house the Special Victims Unit. The SVU is comprised of highly trained investigators and assistant prosecutors whose expertise will be focused on child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence.”

In 2017, the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office utilized grant funding to develop its current stand-alone CAC which is located at 47 Cooper Street in Woodbury. The CAC, along with the SVU will provide a seamless, multi-disciplinary response to combating child abuse by enabling law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates, child protective services and mental health professionals to work together as a collaborative team investigating and prosecuting cases of child abuse.

Victims of sexual assault or domestic violence can receive additional services, including support and crisis intervention, through Services Empowering the Rights of Victims (SERV) at 1-866-295-7378.

Additionally, the Special Victims Unit may be contacted at 856-384-5500 for those seeking additional information or reporting a crime or suspected abuse.