Steele honored for working to help victims
NORRISTOWN >> Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center and Laurel House have announced that Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele has been awarded the 2019 Pennsylvania Governor’s Victim Service Pathfinder Award for Allied Professional.
Presented by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, the awards highlight the recipients’ achievements and honor the contributions they have made to their communities.
The Pathfinder Allied Professional Award was presented to Steele, recognizing his work in prosecuting cases of sexual and domestic assault, as well as other violent crimes.
As a current board member and long-time supporter of Mission Kids, a nationally
accredited child advocacy center located in Montgomery County, Steele is well known and respected for his dedication to seeking justice for all victims.
“District Attorney Kevin Steele works tirelessly to obtain the justice for child abuse victims that they deserve, while also prioritizing their healing process and advocating for their wellbeing outside of the courtroom,” said Leslie Slingsby, executive director of Mission Kids. “He works hand in hand with Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center, relying on our partnership for expertise, knowledge and services in order to best serve child abuse victims.”
Steele is perhaps best known on the national stage for his recent guilty verdict in the Bill Cosby sexual assault case, which had a significant influence on the victim empowerment movement. Locally, Steele helped pass Senate Bill 1092 in October 2018 to enhance sentencing guidelines for offenders who commit domestic violence in front of household children. More recently, Steele served as an outspoken advocate for Mary’s Law in Pennsylvania, which was overwhelmingly voted for during the 2019 state general election.
When working with victims of child sexual abuse, Mission Kids utilizes a multidisciplinary team approach to reduce victim trauma by coordinating a team response to child abuse allegations in a child-friendly setting. The center brings officials together from a wide variety of relevant organizations, including District Attorney Kevin Steele’s office, to conduct a single victim interview by a trained forensic interviewer, rather than forcing the victim to retell their story over and over again to different officials and risk further traumatization.