Close to Home: Local stories of broken lives and support

We all have a story. Ranging from triumph to tragedy, our personal stories are sometimes shared and often hidden. Too many of these stories involve an abusive personal relationship that causes untold damage to the victim and the victim’s family, often ending with dire consequences.

This is Jane’s story (her name has been changed to protect her privacy). Jane was raising her 11-year-old daughter, and life was good. Then one day everything changed. Jane suffered a broken orbital bone after being beaten in the head by her boyfriend while her daughter called 911 from the other room. In that instant Jane became the victim of a crime, something she could have never imagined before that day.

The impact of crime is pervasive and knows no boundaries. People tend to think “It can’t happen to me.” Unfortunately, anyone, including the citizens of Sonoma County, may become a victim of crime at any time.

Victims deserve services, information and, most of all, our compassion. This is exactly what Jane received when she opened the door to the Family Justice Center Sonoma County. There Jane found a building full of professional people to help her transition from victim to survivor. The YWCA assisted her in creating a safety plan, completed a danger assessment and enrolled her in a 16-week therapeutic domestic violence support group. Legal Aid of Sonoma County helped Jane obtain a five-year civil restraining order. Catholic Charities handled immigration services for Jane. She also had the services of a district attorney victim advocate who helped her navigate the criminal justice process, which included reading her victim impact statement to the court.

If Jane had been a victim of elder abuse or sexual assault, she would have been offered services from other on-site collaborative partners, such as the Council on Aging and Verity. Other partners serving victims on site include local law enforcement and services through the county’s Human Services and Health Services departments.

After prosecution by the District Attorney’s Office, Jane’s offender was held accountable and was convicted of felony domestic violence. He served time in jail, and his sentence included three years formal probation, a 52-week anger management class and a criminal protective order to stay away from Jane.

In her own words, Jane said, “In the midst of my pain, I found a family full of support at the Family Justice Center. With their help, I found my strength to move forward and realize that I was not alone. Today, I remain alive and happily functioning and prospering again. I only hope that other victims will reach out for help in the middle of such a difficult time like I did.”

We and our many partners are honoring crime victims by recognizing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in Sonoma County next week. The theme this year, “Engaging Communities, Empowering Victims,” reminds us that crime is a community issue and that each of us should do our part to empower and honor victims.

It is paramount to treat crime victims with fairness, respect and dignity

A celebration honoring victims will be held April 24 at noon at the Family Justice Center Sonoma County on Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa. Please see our website for details on this free event: www.fjcsc.org.

Jill Ravitch is district attorney for Sonoma County. Ann Diem Patton is board president of the Family Justice Center Sonoma County Foundation.