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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
The victims advocate program provides service to those who have suffered from violent crimes in Nephi and throughout the county.
Jared Eldridge, Juab County Attorney, and Amy Taylor, full-time victims advocate, told council members on Tuesday that the program was doing a great service in Nephi and in the county.
Annette Lovell, paralegal with the attorney's office, also advocates in the program.
The program helps both primary victims (the person the crime happened to) and the secondary victims (the people who love and care about the person the crime happened to), said Taylor.
The program began in the county in 2003 but it was not funded until 2005.
"We had an unusual number of cases in the county this year," said Eldridge. "I hope it is just an anomalous year."
For example, he said, in the first 9 years he had been county attorney, there had been two cases of attempted homicide. This year, his tenth, there had been two cases.
"I had two rape cases in one night," said Taylor.
In 2010-2011, there were 55 primary victims of domestic violence, 19 cases of sexual abuse, and 28 cases where there were victims of other crimes who needed an advocate.
In that same year, there were 78 secondary victims of domestic violence, 28 secondary victims of sexual abuse and 26 secondary victims of other crimes.
This fiscal year (from June 30 to July 1), there have been 69 victims of domestic violence, 14 cases of sexual abuse, and 21 victims of other crimes.
In Nephi there were 44 cases of domestic violence, two in Levan, 13 in Mona, three in Eureka, zero in Rocky Ridge, one in Juab County and six others.
Of those crimes, there were 76 secondary victims in Nephi, one in Levan, 10 in Mona, two in Juab County and five others.
As for sexual abuse, there were nine cases reported in Nephi, zero in Levan, one in Mona, zero in Eureka, one in Rocky Ridge, one in Juab County and two others.
Secondary victims for that same crime in Nephi were 21, in Levan there were zero, in Mona there were three, there were zero in Eureka, there was one in Rocky Ridge, one in Juab County, and one other.
One of the reasons there were more cases reported is that it has become acceptable for victims to seek help and because the advocacy program is more widely known, the victim knows where to go to get help.
"We had some really good detective work on the part of the Nephi City Police Department in tracking down an individual who was just somebody passing through," said Eldridge.
The individual raped a female, was located because of the good police work, was found to have committed such an act before, and was arrested.
Since it was the rapist's second conviction, said Eldridge, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
"We make certain that the victims do not get forgotten," said Taylor.
Eldridge said that Taylor spends hours and hours with the victims. They go to court with them and they uphold them in their time of need.
In one case, the victim was needed to come in and testify which was a very difficult thing to do.
"It was very powerful," said Eldridge.
Because of his position in relation to the jury, he did not realize that the jury members were crying.
"There wasn't a dry eye in the courtroom," said Taylor. "It was a hard thing for her to do but we were able to support her."
Eldridge said that, sometimes, all a victim really needed was a shoulder to cry on.
Advocate services are defined as efforts that respond to the emotional and physical needs of crime victims, assist primary and secondary victims of crime to stabilize their lives after victimization, assist victims to understand and participate in the criminal justice system, and provide victims of crime with a measure of safety and security.
Justin Seely, council member, who is employed as a state case manager, and who has 15 years of experience in the field of human services working with at-risk youth, said he worked with Taylor on some cases and wanted to highly commend her for her work.
He said that Taylor worked closely with the doctors and the hospital.
"I highly commend you," he said. "We are kind of leading the way with this program."
He had a friend who had reason to realize that even some large places, like the Las Vegas, Nevada, area did not have the kind of support for victims that Juab County had.
"Throughout the nation, domestic violence is an underreported crime," said Eldridge. "Over one-fourth of domestic violence incidents go unreported."
Sometimes it is because the perpetrator is the family breadwinner, and, because domestic violence involves intimate partners and family members, people may not want the police involved.
Victims feel more empowered to come forward when there is an advocate program available.
Some of the money need comes in the form of a grant from a fund established under the 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). That grant is worth $30,247.
Nephi City contributes $11,038; Juab County adds $17,041; Levan puts in $1,500 as does Mona.
"We hope that you will consider continuing that level of commitment," said Eldridge.
The funds pay not only salary and expenses, but for training and other costs of the program. |
