Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Ronni Ducoff honored for championing cause of abused children
Click image to enlarge
|
BY: ARLENE FINE Senior Staff Reporter
One of the first questions people ask Assistant County Prosecutor Ronni Ducoff is, “How do you sleep at night?”
Every day Ducoff, who works in the Child Victim Unit of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, prepares cases against adults who have committed almost unimaginable violent and sexual crimes against children 13 and under.
As Ducoff, mother of three young sons, describes the level of abuse, many of these cases rival the plots of Wes Craven’s most nightmarish Freddy Krueger movies.
In a phone interview from her downtown office, Ducoff, 51, speaks somberly about the types of cases that typically fill her overflowing docket. She recounts the guilty verdict she recently won against a man who placed a red-hot iron on the stomach of a retarded infant. She also describes an alarming number of cases of babies who were shaken so badly that they suffered permanent brain damage or death.
And the number of sexual abuse cases is so rampant, Ducoff calls this crime “an epidemic.”
For the past 12 years, Ducoff, a former speech therapist and special-education teacher, has worked diligently to write briefs and to properly and compassionately counsel her young witnesses so the “guilty” verdict can be heard in the courtroom n putting proven child abusers behind bars.
As rewarding as it is to have favorable judgments n and Ducoff has had her fair share n that is not always the case. The frustrations of the job are many, admits the Beachwood resident.
“‘Not guilty’ verdicts haunt me for months,” she says. “It is a devastating experience to see a child handed over to a mother, father, or other family member and know the abuse will probably continue once that child returns home.”
Often, the mothers are allied with the perpetrators and refuse to speak out against them in court, explains Ducoff. “The perpetrator’s control is so strong that a mother is willing to have her child or children continue to suffer physical or sexual abuse just so she can stay with this man, whom she often sees as her meal ticket. Many times, these women, frequently victims themselves, clean up the crime scene so no evidence can be found.”
It is not uncommon for Ducoff to be the single adult advocate for the abused child. “I end up being the only one praying for the child,” she says. “I pray that the child can heal physically and emotionally, and I pray that a conviction will result in a jail sentence so mom cannot reconcile with the perpetrator and bring him back home.”
Ducoff is concerned about the growing number of dysfunctional families she repeatedly encounters. “When there is no strong, reliable family unit, often children are bounced around to multiple caregivers n a mom’s aunt, a second cousin, a boyfriend of that cousin n and so on. When this happens, no one is directly supervising care, and that can lead to serious trouble.”
Ducoff describes a recent case where a 3-year-old boy was brought to a pediatric emergency room with a badly broken leg. After his leg was set, the alert medical team examined the rest of the toddler’s body and discovered his other leg had been broken, along with an arm, and a cheekbone. The child’s head was marked with multiple scars.
“This boy had been with so many caregivers over his young life that it was impossible to determine who committed these heinous, abusive acts,” Ducoff says. “Often the children are too young to point fingers, so the abuse continues without putting anyone on trial for the crime.”
Ducoff sadly recounts the case of a man incarcerated for shaking a baby so badly the child was permanently harmed. After the man was released from prison, he fathered another child and hurt this baby the same way.
“These cases are so frustrating, because even though this man was a convicted child abuser, there was nothing to stop him from becoming a father again and performing the same crime,” says Ducoff.
The other flaw in a system that Ducoff describes as “crazy,” is illustrated by the following scenario: A child, often a foster child, is abused by a family member. The perpetrator warns the child that if he or she tells “their secret” the child will have to go to yet another foster home. This means living with yet another set of strangers.
“This is nuts. It is the perpetrators who should be punished, not the innocent child who is shuffled about in the system,” she says.
When children relate their abuse to Ducoff, their emotional release is immediate. “Often the children have been storing up tears for years, and they finally have a chance to express their deepest fears, indignities and secrets,” she says. “This takes a lot of courage, and my job is to help them tell their story in a court of law. Sometimes they have to speak out against a close relative, and that is hard because they fear they will lose their love forever.”
Developmental psychologist Rebekah Dorman, Director of Family and Child Programs at United Way, says, “Through Ronni’s office has come a parade of very sad, very scared and very wounded children. Although she often reads disturbing medical and psychological reports and at times autopsy reports, the toughest part of her job is talking directly to the children and hearing them describe how they have been violated physically or sexually. Whether children are pleasant or their experiences have turned them angry and difficult, Ronni treats them all with respect and care.”
Ducoff has continued to perform such emotionally draining work far longer than any of the colleagues in her unit. She says the only way to avoid burnout is for her to distance herself and not take her work home with her. She also cherishes the time she spends with her children and husband Daniel.
“After what I go through each day, I insist that as a family we treat each other with dignity and respect,” says Ducoff. “We never say ‘shut-up’ in our house. I’m so used to hearing the parents in my waiting room talk to their children that way and to each other, that I don’t allow that term in our home.”
Because child abuse cuts across all socio-economic, racial and religious lines, the message that Ducoff has for all parents is to listen to their children, because anyone can be a child abuser, from a close family member to their best friends.
“Children usually do not lie about being abused,” she says. “It is painful for them to appear before a jury and say ‘Granddad has been abusing me for five years.’ And it is very hard for them to appear in court with 14 pairs of eyes on them when they sit on the witness stand. But their bravery often leads to a conviction, and one more child is out of harm’s way. That is why I can sleep at night. I know I am helping save children’s lives and performing a real mitzvah.”
Last week Ducoff, along with Heidi Solomon and seven others, was awarded the “Hearts of Hope” award from Beech Brook, a facility dealing with families and children with mental health issues. The Hearts of Hope award is presented annually to individuals who are dedicated to helping vulnerable or at-risk children.
afine@cjn.org
Every day Ducoff, who works in the Child Victim Unit of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, prepares cases against adults who have committed almost unimaginable violent and sexual crimes against children 13 and under.
As Ducoff, mother of three young sons, describes the level of abuse, many of these cases rival the plots of Wes Craven’s most nightmarish Freddy Krueger movies.
In a phone interview from her downtown office, Ducoff, 51, speaks somberly about the types of cases that typically fill her overflowing docket. She recounts the guilty verdict she recently won against a man who placed a red-hot iron on the stomach of a retarded infant. She also describes an alarming number of cases of babies who were shaken so badly that they suffered permanent brain damage or death.
And the number of sexual abuse cases is so rampant, Ducoff calls this crime “an epidemic.”
For the past 12 years, Ducoff, a former speech therapist and special-education teacher, has worked diligently to write briefs and to properly and compassionately counsel her young witnesses so the “guilty” verdict can be heard in the courtroom n putting proven child abusers behind bars.
As rewarding as it is to have favorable judgments n and Ducoff has had her fair share n that is not always the case. The frustrations of the job are many, admits the Beachwood resident.
“‘Not guilty’ verdicts haunt me for months,” she says. “It is a devastating experience to see a child handed over to a mother, father, or other family member and know the abuse will probably continue once that child returns home.”
Often, the mothers are allied with the perpetrators and refuse to speak out against them in court, explains Ducoff. “The perpetrator’s control is so strong that a mother is willing to have her child or children continue to suffer physical or sexual abuse just so she can stay with this man, whom she often sees as her meal ticket. Many times, these women, frequently victims themselves, clean up the crime scene so no evidence can be found.”
It is not uncommon for Ducoff to be the single adult advocate for the abused child. “I end up being the only one praying for the child,” she says. “I pray that the child can heal physically and emotionally, and I pray that a conviction will result in a jail sentence so mom cannot reconcile with the perpetrator and bring him back home.”
Ducoff is concerned about the growing number of dysfunctional families she repeatedly encounters. “When there is no strong, reliable family unit, often children are bounced around to multiple caregivers n a mom’s aunt, a second cousin, a boyfriend of that cousin n and so on. When this happens, no one is directly supervising care, and that can lead to serious trouble.”
Ducoff describes a recent case where a 3-year-old boy was brought to a pediatric emergency room with a badly broken leg. After his leg was set, the alert medical team examined the rest of the toddler’s body and discovered his other leg had been broken, along with an arm, and a cheekbone. The child’s head was marked with multiple scars.
“This boy had been with so many caregivers over his young life that it was impossible to determine who committed these heinous, abusive acts,” Ducoff says. “Often the children are too young to point fingers, so the abuse continues without putting anyone on trial for the crime.”
Ducoff sadly recounts the case of a man incarcerated for shaking a baby so badly the child was permanently harmed. After the man was released from prison, he fathered another child and hurt this baby the same way.
“These cases are so frustrating, because even though this man was a convicted child abuser, there was nothing to stop him from becoming a father again and performing the same crime,” says Ducoff.
The other flaw in a system that Ducoff describes as “crazy,” is illustrated by the following scenario: A child, often a foster child, is abused by a family member. The perpetrator warns the child that if he or she tells “their secret” the child will have to go to yet another foster home. This means living with yet another set of strangers.
“This is nuts. It is the perpetrators who should be punished, not the innocent child who is shuffled about in the system,” she says.
When children relate their abuse to Ducoff, their emotional release is immediate. “Often the children have been storing up tears for years, and they finally have a chance to express their deepest fears, indignities and secrets,” she says. “This takes a lot of courage, and my job is to help them tell their story in a court of law. Sometimes they have to speak out against a close relative, and that is hard because they fear they will lose their love forever.”
Developmental psychologist Rebekah Dorman, Director of Family and Child Programs at United Way, says, “Through Ronni’s office has come a parade of very sad, very scared and very wounded children. Although she often reads disturbing medical and psychological reports and at times autopsy reports, the toughest part of her job is talking directly to the children and hearing them describe how they have been violated physically or sexually. Whether children are pleasant or their experiences have turned them angry and difficult, Ronni treats them all with respect and care.”
Ducoff has continued to perform such emotionally draining work far longer than any of the colleagues in her unit. She says the only way to avoid burnout is for her to distance herself and not take her work home with her. She also cherishes the time she spends with her children and husband Daniel.
“After what I go through each day, I insist that as a family we treat each other with dignity and respect,” says Ducoff. “We never say ‘shut-up’ in our house. I’m so used to hearing the parents in my waiting room talk to their children that way and to each other, that I don’t allow that term in our home.”
Because child abuse cuts across all socio-economic, racial and religious lines, the message that Ducoff has for all parents is to listen to their children, because anyone can be a child abuser, from a close family member to their best friends.
“Children usually do not lie about being abused,” she says. “It is painful for them to appear before a jury and say ‘Granddad has been abusing me for five years.’ And it is very hard for them to appear in court with 14 pairs of eyes on them when they sit on the witness stand. But their bravery often leads to a conviction, and one more child is out of harm’s way. That is why I can sleep at night. I know I am helping save children’s lives and performing a real mitzvah.”
Last week Ducoff, along with Heidi Solomon and seven others, was awarded the “Hearts of Hope” award from Beech Brook, a facility dealing with families and children with mental health issues. The Hearts of Hope award is presented annually to individuals who are dedicated to helping vulnerable or at-risk children.
afine@cjn.org
 |
 |
|
| Three Cleveland-area families describe what it’s like to have loved ones serving in Iraq | Teaching art and everything else |
Article Rating
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of clevelandjewishnews.com.
You must register with a valid email to post comments. Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments. Registration is free.
Registered users sign in here: |
Become a Registered User |
