4/19/2010

National Crime Victims Rights Week begins today



By Linda Braden Albert 
lindaba@thedailytimes.com
Originally published: April 18. 2010 3:01AM
Last modified: April 17. 2010 4:55PM
The focus of a crime is often on the offenders and what they have done rather than on the victim. National Crime Victims' Rights Week, which begins today and continues through Saturday (April 24), shifts that focus to those who are impacted most by the crimes.
Blount County District Attorney General Mike Flynn said, “During this week, we all like to stop, take a step back, and say ‘we're here because of the victims, and that's who we want to help.' We take time out to recognize that and remind everybody that that's what the focus is, that it's on the needs of the victims rather than on the offenders.”
On Tuesday, the Tennessee Board of Probation & Parole and Flynn's office will plant a dogwood tree at the Blount County Justice Center in recognition of the victims of crime of any kind. Flynn said a dogwood tree was chosen for several reasons.
“The dogwood tree, of course, is indigenous to East Tennessee, and it's a tree that blooms in the spring about the time that we have Victims' Rights Week every year, so we thought it was a very appropriate tree,” Flynn said. “Plus, they are very tough trees that can survive under difficult circumstances. For all those reasons, we thought it was an appropriate tree for victims' rights.”
This is the first observance held in Blount County. In the past, Flynn said events had been concentrated in Knox County.
“We thought it was time to do something here in Blount County, and that's what we're doing,” Flynn said.
Theft to homicide
The Administrative Office of the Courts, which tracks all courts across the state, generates an annual report on what is happening in each judicial district of the state. The most recent figures are from fiscal year 2008-2009, which ran from July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009. In Blount County Circuit Court, 1,452 criminal cases were disposed of (either tried or pled), Flynn said.
“The highest number of those involved burglaries and thefts,” Flynn said. “We also had a high number of drug cases and seven homicide cases that were disposed of during that year. So they ranged the gamut of theft cases through homicide and everything in between. Most if not all of those cases had victims and people who were touched by that.”
A recent parole hearing attended by Flynn and Mary Caylor, Blount County victim-witness coordinator, was related to a 2002 crime in which the victim was shot six times and left to die. “She still has three bullets in her body,” Flynn said. “She is reminded every day of how close she came to dying. Luckily, (the offender) will stay in prison for a nice long time.”
Many cases touch Flynn in a very personal way. He said the ones that make the greatest impact involve sexual and/or physical abuse of children.
“They are all important, and you're concerned about all the victims, but when you see a small child who has been treated so badly for absolutely no reason, it really touches you,” Flynn said. “It's amazing, though, too, to see how resilient some of these children are. It's very inspiring to see a child who has been treated like that then to see them go on to high school and college and become successful members of the community.”
About Crime Victims' Awareness Week
According to ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw, each April since 1981, the Office for Victims of Crime has helped lead communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW) by promoting victims' rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf.
All victims of crime deserve to be treated fairly and respectfully and in a way that preserves their dignity. The theme this year is therefore “Crime Victims' Rights: Fairness. Dignity. Respect.”
The public is invited to attend the tree planting ceremony Tuesday at the Blount County Justice Center. Refreshments will be served following the event.

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