GAINESVILLE – People victimized by the chronic social plague called crime need to know there are resources and services available to help them return to normalcy, that there are people who know first-hand their turmoil and who can help them find restoration.
Friday morning’s blue skies, warming temperatures and abundant sunshine were the perfect springtime reminder that newness and revitalization are possible; that victims do not have to remain victims.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week was commemorated outside the main entrance to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office; the annual ceremony was hosted by the Hall County Solicitor’s Office and the Hall County District Attorney’s Office; its purpose is to raise awareness about crime victims' issues and rights
Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch thanked those in the audience who served as advocates and providers to crime victims. “Your work is instrumental in the difficult healing process, both for individual victims and, sometimes, entire communities.”
“Many of you have helped victims find the strength necessary to face and to hold their offenders accountable,” Couch said.
Hall County State Court Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard was honored with the 2018 Victims’ Rights Week Award.
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Executive Director Janet Walden implored all in attendance to continue the fight for victims’ rights and asked them: “Join us - help us turn these victims into survivors. Help us help each of them know that this thing that has happened to them is a piece of their life but it doesn’t define them.”
Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Lee Darragh urged the audience to vote in the November general election and support “Marsy’s Law”, an amendment to the Georgia Constitution approved by the state legislature and now needing voter approval.
“It recognizes the rights of victims,” Darragh explained. “This will make it constitutional, that victims deserve rights and they deserve to have them honored.”
“Would it be that every police officer, every first responder, every prosecutor, every victim witness advocate, every volunteer in the service of society’s victims, would be able one day to work themselves out of a job,” Darragh said.
“But this world is imperfect and as long as we live in it there will always be evil people who commit atrocious acts, who violate personal space, who have no regards for the property rights of others,” Darragh added.
“Against them we must continue to fight, punish severely where appropriate, remove from our midst where justified, and rehabilitate where possible; to the end goal of reducing victimization so that such ceremonies as we have today would not have to be.”
