Memorial
Year 2001 Key Note Speaker Mattie
(Deaton) Herald-Shelby County Domestic Violence Task Force Chair-1999 to
2003
Victims
Bill of Rights...
As
a thirty-year survivor of Domestic Violence, who made it through, I am
honored and very fortunate to be standing here tonight. I would like to say
just a few words on the behalf of all victims of Domestic Violence.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS A CRIME.
It
is a crime if someone physically hurts or threatens you. No one has the
right to hurt you, not even if that person is a spouse or boyfriend.
We all know the alarming statistics of domestic violence. That is why the
Shelby County Domestic Violence Task Force is working hard to raise
awareness, provide assistance to victims, and to train the employers,
churches and the community of Shelby County about domestic violence.
With
everyone's help we can bring a better quality of life to our citizens and
work toward ending this crime against the women, men and children of our
community.
As a people of this Nation we have a "Bill of Rights".
And
the victims of Domestic Violence their is a "Bill of Rights" as
well.
I
have a right not to be beaten.
I
am not to blame for being beaten and abused.
I
am not the cause of another's behavior.
I
have a right to be angry over past beatings.
I
have a right to be in a safe, non-violent home.
I
have a right to provide a healthy environment for my children and myself.
I
do not want my children to grow up to batter or to be battered.
I
have a right not to accept physical, emotional, sexual, psychological or
financial abuse.
I
have a right to make mistakes.
I
have a right to believe I have a good memory.
I
have a right to have a partner who is faithful.
I
have a right to participate in the process of making rules that will affect
my life.
As
we gather here this evening, may we all remember these rights and do
whatever possible for those still struggling with abuse and help them live
their bill of rights.
Thank you.
Memorial
2002 Key Note Speaker Kent Apsley Shelby County Prosecutor
Helping
Victims, Helping Ourselves
Sept.
11 has heightened this country's awareness of the harsh and tragic impact of
crime on its victims -- how, in a single moment, one's life can be turned
upside down and completely altered through an act of cruelty.
Although
nearly 26 million crimes occur annually in the United States, most of us
never stop to think about the people harmed by each of those crimes -- the
victims. Nor do we consider what these victims might need to rebuild their
lives, to recover from what may have been a profoundly traumatic experience.
And what about the ripple effect of crime? Each family member, friend and
loved one of a victim is, to some extent, touched by the event. They, too,
awaken to find a different world from the one they knew before the tragedy.
They, too, must rebuild their lives.
The
horror of Sept. 11 gives us an opportunity to reconsider our response to
victims of crime generally.
We
have witnessed unparalleled generosity, from individual acts of kindness to
historic levels of charitable giving. Neighbors helping neighbors.
Communities reaching out to victims and survivors. Federal legislation,
enacted at breakneck speed, compensating victims for their losses. Such a
societal response to crime victims is unprecedented.
As
we move beyond and learn from the horrific events of the past year, National
Crime Victims Rights Week seems a particularly poignant opportunity to
commemorate the progress that has been made to secure rights and services
for crime victims.
More
than 30 years ago, pioneering victim advocates fought for something
previously inconceivable -- the provision of basic rights within the
criminal justice system for innocent victims of crime. Today, every state
provides for at least some level of participation by victims in the criminal
justice system, helping to make individuals and communities safer and making
our justice system stronger.
Just
this month, the Indiana legislature passed, and the governor signed into
law, "Kelly's Law." This law requires, for the first time, that
victims' families be allowed to address the court and the defendant in
capital murder cases. Through the efforts of tireless advocates, like Connie
and Dale Sutton, this statute will serve as a memorial to their daughter,
Kelly Eckart, and to all victims of violent crime.
Thirty-two
states, including Indiana, have provided even more protection for these
rights by enshrining them in their state constitutions. Our own state
constitution now mandates that "victims of crime have the right to be
treated with fairness, dignity and respect throughout the criminal justice
process; and to be informed of and present during public hearings and to
confer with the prosecution.
In
our own community, we have seen tremendous progress in bringing justice and
services to victims of violent crimes. My office now has a full-time victim
assistance coordinator, dedicated solely to working with victims, keeping
them informed of the status of their cases and making sure they are aware of
services and compensation available to them.
Shelby
County now has its own Domestic Violence Task Force. It is committed to
building a coordinated response to domestic violence throughout the county.
Finally, through the efforts of
countless individuals, including Coroner Shelley Snyder and Sheriff Tom
Debaun, we see the opening of The Starting Point of Shelby County, a
nonprofit agency that offers specialized examination, treatment and
counseling for victims of sexual assault. It will provide an invaluable
service to victims and a powerful tool to police and prosecutors never
before available in our community.
This
is also a time to recommit ourselves to making sure that all crime victims
have the help they need, that none falls through the cracks in systems
established to protect them. A time to bring honor to victims.
How
do we do that?
When
we help them access the resources they need, from financial resources such
as crime victim compensation or restitution, to emotional support and
counseling, we bring honor to victims.
When
we help them to plan for their own safety, we bring honor to victims.
When
we give them the information they need to make their own choices, we bring
honor to victims.
When
we make sure they have the opportunity to participate fully in the criminal
justice process, we bring honor to victims.
When
we validate their experience, when we listen to them describe how their
lives have been changed by an event out of their control, we bring honor to
victims.
And,
we bring honor to victims when we ask them what they need, and we commit
ourselves to doing everything we can do.
Victims'
voices speak to us through the tragedy and pain. We need only to listen to
them. In the process, we learn about life and facing hardship. These lessons
can teach us all compassion and perspective.
Our
community safety depends on your involvement. Our journey toward honoring
victims and helping them heal cannot be completed without the involvement
and commitment of everyone.
Seize
the opportunity to make a positive difference in someone's life and, quite
possibly, your own.
Every
crime has a victim. Every victim needs our help
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