Athens, GA- The local organization LEAD Athens put on a conference called No Fear Here: Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse. The event took place at St. James United Methodist Church, and featured panels filled with experts on the issue.

Participants included members from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, The Cottage, Prevent Child Abuse Athens, DFCS, and many other organizations advocating for child protection.

Kenneth W. Mauldin, the District Attorney for the Western Judicial Circuit, spoke to attendees about the legal side of child sexual abuse. Mauldin said that people need to be educated on the laws that provide them protection if they allege, “in good faith” that someone may have sexually assaulted a child.

Sally Sheppard, Executive Director for The Cottage: Sexual Assault Center and Children’s Advocacy Center,  also stated how adults should educate themselves on the subject when she stated, “I think that we need to learn how to recognize it…the signs and symptoms that children show when they have been victims of abuse”.

The conference lasted from 8 am until 4.

For more information on the No Fear Here and LEAD Athens, the event’s website here.