Logo courtesy of the Butte County District Attorney’s Office

OROVILLE, CA (MPG) – A newly redesigned child interview room at the Butte County District Attorney’s Office will help young abuse victims share their experiences in a safe, child‑friendly setting while reducing the trauma of repeated questioning.

The room supports the Butte County Child Abuse Response Team, or CART, a multidisciplinary program that has coordinated child abuse investigations since 1993. The program brings investigators, prosecutors, social workers and victim advocates together so children generally need to participate in only one forensic interview.

Phyllis’s Garden, a nonprofit that creates trauma‑informed interview spaces for child abuse victims, designed the renovated room.

Kris Pedretti, co‑founder and chief executive officer of Phyllis’s Garden, survived a 1976 sexual assault committed by the man later identified through genetic genealogy as the Golden State Killer. “To many people, a soft interview room really just looks like a beautiful room,” Pedretti said. “But to a survivor of sexual assault, it sends a very important message. And that message is that they matter and that they will be believed.”

Pedretti said a welcoming environment helps children feel secure enough to describe what happened, benefiting both their recovery and the investigative process.

District Attorney Mike Ramsey said the child‑friendly approach allows a specially trained forensic interviewer to obtain an accurate account in a setting designed for children while investigators observe remotely. Interviews are digitally recorded and livestreamed to another room where team members can watch without intruding. During breaks, they can provide additional questions to the interviewer, helping avoid multiple interviews while ensuring investigators gather the information needed for criminal or juvenile proceedings.

CART includes the Butte County Department of Employment and Social Services Children’s Services Division, the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit and Victim Assistance Bureau, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, police departments in Chico, Gridley, Oroville and Paradise, Chico State University Police, the California Highway Patrol, California State Parks, Community Care Licensing and the Butte County Sexual Assault Response Team when medical examinations are needed.

Ramsey said 774 children have been interviewed through the county’s child interview center during the past five years.

The Butte County Board of Supervisors joined Ramsey and CART representatives to dedicate the new interview room on June 28.