The Children's Collaborative Action Team (CCAT), of the San Mateo County Child Abuse Prevention Council is putting on a FREE presentation discussing the need for citizens to take responsibility in reporting offenders, and experiences with reporting abuse in the case of Dr. William Hamilton Ayres case will be part of the discussion. (For more information on this case, see postings in US News on Male Survivor)

Please go to the CCAT website for the details, contact and R.S.V.P. information.
Follow the link below, and then click on the "click for more info" link in the box on the right hand side of the page.

http://www.smcccat.org/index.html

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2009
Time: 6-8 PM
Location: Human Services Agency, 400 Harbor Blvd. Bldg B, Belmont CA


CCAT FREE Community Presentation
CITIZEN WHISTLEBLOWERS:
TAKING ACTION WHEN NO ONE ELSE WILL

Join CCAT for a FREE evening presentation by Victoria Balfour, Investigative Journalist and citizens advocate whose articles have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine and many other publications and Jane Smithson, Attorney at Law and Mandated Reporter Trainer, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.

From her own firsthand advocacy experience in the Dr. Ayres case, Balfour will offer her views on:

*Why it's important for parents to take their children's confidences seriously

*The damage done to children when they keep devastating secrets to themselves

*Options for parents who want justice for their children

*Working with law enforcement agencies when you're trying to make your voice heard

Some of Ayres' victims and their families will be there, as well as some therapists who tried to report Dr. Ayres over the years and were thwarted.

If there are any men who have not yet come forward to the police in the Dr. Ayres case, please think about attending this event. There will be a lot of good information.

Belmont is in the San Francisco/Bay area, on the Peninsula