The suffering of violent-crime victims should not be exacerbated by governmental indifference to their legitimate interests in the full -- and fair -- punishment of their assailants. Legislation passed by the General Assembly earlier this year, and recently signed into law by Gov. Mark Sanford, wisely enhances those interests.
As Clay Barbour reported in Friday's Post and Courier, the new law mandates that those who commit violent crimes together will have their parole hearings together, too. It also mandates that victims may testify at parole hearings through closed-circuit television, rather than being forced to travel to Columbia. Those changes will help violent-crime victims minimize the time they must spend to testify before the parole board, while maximizing the impact of their testimony.
This legislation was inspired, in large part, by the courageous example of Charleston's Joanna Katz, rape survivor and victims' rights advocate. A PBS documentary, "Sentencing the Victim," focused on the difficulties she faced in seeking justice -- including repeated trips to three sets of parole hearings for the five men who assaulted her.
The persuasive power of that true story fueled the S.C. Victim Assistance Network's successful effort to recruit Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, and House Ways and Means Chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, to the cause of this new law.
Ms. Katz hailed that law, explaining: "Involving the victim, when they want to be involved, is very, very important. But you have to make it practical. The victim should be a key part of the decision-making process, just as they were in the conviction. But it should not lead to trauma. And this law is sensitive to the victim. It has everything to do with justice."
And justice is facilitated when the voices of violent-crime victims are heard loudly and clearly by the legal system -- including parole boards. That's not merely a victory for crime victims. That's a victory for all law-abiding citizens.
Click here to return to story:
http://www.charleston.net/stories/071104/edi_11edit3.shtml