SAN LUIS VALLEY — Victim Advocacy is an integral part of the judicial system giving voice to those who may otherwise get lost in a sea of court proceedings not easy to navigate. National Crimes Victims’ Rights Week highlights the importance of such work and the need to keep victims informed of cases through the rigorous process as they work to heal and offers the chance to seek help.

Established in 1981, the National Crime Victims’ Rights week, “(NCVRW) is a time to renew our commitment to serving all victims of crime, to acknowledge the achievements in victim services and allied professions, to honor those who have gone above and beyond in their service to others, and to remember crime victims and survivors.”

Locally, victim advocacy has been widely increased throughout several of the San Lusi Valley communities and has helped enforce victim rights in more ways than one. Not only do Victim Advocates keep victims in cases informed, but they also provide important information for victims on how to seek help in their unique and difficult circumstances. In many cases in the past year, local Victim Advocates have seen cases go untried, be postponed and often dropped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rio Grande County spent the past year watching as many victims locally were put off not only due to the COVID-19 pandemic but also because of the changing administrations in district attorney offices throughout the Valley and the changes relating to how cases are handled today. Many have witnessed as case after case of criminal charges were handled in new ways, offering suspects a second chance and victims less and less as time goes on.

Officials are seeing it more and more often. There is an arrest, charges are filed, victims are kept out of the loop, unless a victim’s advocate has been assigned, and then, the charges are lessened or dropped, and the suspect is back at it within a couple months. Same charges, same incidences, different people. Law enforcement couldn’t provide an exact number of cases where this has happened in the past year but did confirm that it was a higher than in years past.

One case in the Valley involved the sexual assault of a child by a person in a position of trust and though details pertaining to the case including names, ages and other identifying details have been withheld to protect the victim and their families, it served as a reminder as to how some cases are now being handled. These cases are being plead down and down to almost nothing.

When asked, a local Victims Advocate stated that some of the reason was due to COVID but that this trend has been increasing for quite some time.

“It would be different if the perpetrators were getting the help they need, but they’re not, they’re only getting second chances to do it again and unless a victim has an advocate, the victims don’t get the help they need either to navigate this process and what is happening,” the Victims Advocate said.

Another local case involving sexual assault has been in and out of court for nearly three years. The result is shocking only because the victim, who is not getting the justice they seek, is on the brink of not fighting anymore. The following was shared by the local Victim Advocate with the permission of the victim in this case.

“If I had known that it would have taken three years for anything to be done and then find out that charges would be dropped and lessened, I would have stayed silent,” the Victim Advocate said they were told.

Yet another case where this has occurred was a theft case out of Mineral County. In this case, video footage of the theft was turned over to prosecutors and felony charges were filed. Almost eight months after the case was opened, the victim found out “through the grapevine” that the charges were dropped, and the suspect was let off with only a fine.

During National Crime Victims’ Rights week it is important to remind victims that they have not been forgotten and that the judicial system is doing everything they can to make sure that justice has been issued properly and fairly to all involved. Though these can be murky waters for many reasons, if a victim is on the brink of giving up then something has been done wrong and everyone should take note. Support victims, build trust, and engage the community.