-Springfield- In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, the Hampden District Attorney’s Office’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Unit hosted a networking and provider fair at UMass Springfield.

Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni stated, “I am so proud of my Domestic and Sexual Violence Unit for the work that they do both inside and outside of the courtroom on behalf of survivors and their families. Events like this help raise awareness and create positive relationships between law enforcement and service providers to better assist victims.”  

Over twenty five service providers were present to share what their organizations do around helping survivors of sexual assault, and promoting education and prevention on the issue.

The event also included a presentation by members of the Commercially Sexually Exploited Persons Team (CSEP) that focuses on human trafficking. The CSEP Team focuses on strategies which reduces demand by those wishing to exploit victims of human trafficking while engaging those actively being trafficked and providing them the services and support to extricate themselves from these conditions.

The afternoon’s objective was to provide a venue where law enforcement and service providers could collaborate around the issues of sexual violence and human trafficking.

The panel consisted of Monica Dominique, Victim Services Coordinator for the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, Maureen Casey,the CARD Program, a john school in MA which is facilitated in Worcester and Ludlow, Carolyn Meuse, a registered nurse and the Community Care Coordinator at Mercy Hospital, and Massachusetts State Trooper Nicholas Pellegrino- who coordinates the Commercially Sexually Exploited Persons (CSEP) Task Force in Springfield.