Your letters: DA, women’s shelter build awareness around victims’ rights

As part of our ongoing effort to elevate voices calling for equal rights for crime victims, we’re pleased to share this letter to the editor from Kyle Mayo, originally published by the Wausau Pilot & Review.

Dear editor,

As Marathon County District Attorney, I regularly see firsthand the importance of connecting crime victims to the rights available to them throughout the justice process. However, those rights are most meaningful when victims know they exist and feel able to exercise them.

On Aug. 28, my office and I participated in a silhouette display at the Marathon County Courthouse in an effort to bring greater awareness to rights granted by Wisconsin’s crime victims’ rights amendment known as Marsy’s Law. Eight red silhouettes were displayed inside the courthouse, each highlighting a right guaranteed under Marsy’s Law along with services available to victims by another partner in the event, The Women’s Community. 

The silhouettes represent the victims and survivors who are a part of our communities. Crime affects our neighbors, our friends, and our family members. Those navigating the justice system shouldn’t have to do so without knowing the protections and resources available to them.

That’s also why collaboration with organizations that serve victims is so important. The Women’s Community provides resources and services to people in Wisconsin affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and human trafficking. By working together, we can help connect victims with information about their rights and the resources that are available to support them.

Greater awareness helps ensure that these rights aren’t just written protections, but something that victims know and understand.

Kyle Mayo, Marathon County District Attorney