N.C. Gov., A.G. highlight value of Guilford County Family Justice Center
North Carolina leaders marked Sexual Assault Awareness Month by highlighting the Guilford County Family Justice Center’s lifesaving impact — where nearly 100,000 survivors of domestic and sexual violence, child abuse and other traumatic experiences have found safety and a pathway to healing.
During an April 9 press conference, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein praised the Family Justice Center model as a beacon of hope and a prime example of how communities can respond to violence with coordination and compassion.
Guilford County’s Family Justice Center is a “one-stop shop” for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse and more. Elon Law supports the center’s work through its Emergency Legal Services Program, directed by Margaret Dudley, which provides potentially lifesaving legal assistance to survivors at centers in Guilford and Alamance counties.
“The work that is done here to save lives and improve odds is truly impressive,” Gov. Stein said. “You can talk to a victim advocate, get help filing a restraining order, receive medical care, talk to law enforcement and find information about where you can go to be safe.”
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson echoed that sentiment, calling centers like Guilford’s “the way of the future” and emphasizing their importance to both the justice system and the communities they serve.
The governor urged funding for a new State Bureau of Investigation cold-case unit to pursue unresolved sexual assaults — building on the state’s clearance of 12,000 untested rape kits, which led to 2,700 DNA matches and over 250 arrests. The SBI unit would address those and other unresolved cases.
“We are focused on people’s lives, not just metrics,” Jackson said. “These cases matter because these are real people who deserve answers.”
The press conference gathered a coalition of elected officials, law enforcement and community partners to reaffirm their shared mission and to spotlight the resources needed to prevent and prosecute sexual violence.
“To my knowledge, we’ve never had a governor come to a Family Justice Center in North Carolina before,” Dudley said afterward. She has led Elon Law’s program at the center since 2017, initially through a grant from the Governor’s Crime Commission. “It heightens the public’s awareness of what a problem sexual assault is, and it validates the work done here.”
She spoke candidly about the stakes for survivors and families who walk through the center’s doors, and the “compassion-driven, trauma-informed care” they receive. Before the center opened, victims had to navigate a confusing web of separate agencies — courthouses, police departments, social services and hospitals — often alone.
“Fatalities decrease in communities where there is a Family Justice Center,” Dudley said, pointing to the center’s integration of law enforcement, health care, housing and social supports. “When you come in these doors, you’re going to be greeted with kindness. You’re in a safe place and you’re going to have people who will do their best to help you.”
Earlier this year, Dudley was named a legal “Icon” by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly for her nearly five decades of advocacy in Guilford County and as a longtime professor of constitutional law at N.C. A&T State University.
As state leaders push for expanded investigative resources and long-term survivor support, they pointed to the Guilford County Family Justice Center as a model to be replicated.
“Together, we can help victims become survivors on their pathway to healing,” said Catherine Johnson, the center’s director. “Our work is grounded in one goal: to foster hope, healing and justice for all.”
Resources
If you or someone you know has been impacted by interpersonal or sexual violence, you are not alone. The following agencies and resources are available for support:
Guilford County Family Justice Center, 336-641-7233
Alamance County Family Justice Center, 336-570-6019
Elon University Safeline, 336-278-3333
Elon University Counseling Services, 336-278-7280
Crossroads Sexual Assault Response Resource Center, 336-228-0360
NC Coalition Against Sexual Assault, 919-871-1015