Washington County's top prosecutors and victim advocates are pushing sex abuse survivors to use a new Hillsboro facility where more than 20 agencies offer medical care, legal help, counseling, and law enforcement services in one building.

On July 24, Chief Deputy District Attorney Allison Brown said that her office has an entire team dedicated to guiding victims through the court process.

"We have plenty of resources for our child victims," Brown told KOIN.

The resources Brown referenced are concentrated at the Family Peace Center of Washington County, a three-story, 64,000-square-foot building at 1100 N.E. Compton Drive in Hillsboro that opened April 30. Legacy Health, which supported the center's capital campaign, calls it the first facility in the country to combine domestic and sexual violence services, child abuse medical care, law enforcement, housing support, and therapeutic childcare under one roof.

Yvette Zavala, a member of the center's survivor advisory committee, told KOIN that the facility aims to bring people out of isolation. She said survivors often stay silent and expressed hope the center will encourage more to come forward.

What's inside

The Family Peace Center houses the Hillsboro Police Department's Victim Services unit, the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the DA's Domestic Violence Unit, CARES Northwest, and the Sexual Assault Resource Center. The Washington County Circuit Court also operates on-site. Survivors can file restraining orders and appear before a judge the same day if they arrive by 9 a.m.

CARES Northwest, which provides forensic medical evaluations and trauma therapy for child abuse victims, said at the April 30 grand opening that the new space will double the number of children receiving evaluations and triple trauma counseling sessions.

Legacy Health projected the center would serve more than 10,000 survivors annually. The predecessor Family Justice Center, which operated in Beaverton starting in 2018, saw demand grow by more than 300% between 2020 and its transition to the new Hillsboro facility.

Recent local cases

The call to publicize resources comes as Washington County law enforcement handles a heavy caseload of sex crimes. On Thursday, June 4, the Washington County Sheriff's Office and Hillsboro Police Department conducted a joint undercover child predator sting, arresting five men on charges of luring a minor and online sexual corruption of a child. Three of those arrested live in Hillsboro.

On May 20, a Washington County grand jury indicted Jacob Joaquin Mandes Sr., 53, on 19 counts including rape and sodomy spanning 10 years. Mandes has address history in Hillsboro and Cornelius. Detectives believe there may be additional victims and ask anyone with information to call 503-846-2500, referencing case 50-26-6744.

How to get help

The Family Peace Center's main line is 503-430-8300. The Hillsboro Police Department's Victim Services number at the center is 503-681-6175. The Sexual Assault Resource Center offers 24/7 crisis response. The DA's Domestic Violence Unit is available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.