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Our friend and supporter, Dr. Kit Ford, Director and Founder of Argrow’s House of Healing and Hope in Davenport, penned an opinion piece in the Quad City Times for National Crime Victims' Rights Week. We're so thankful for her support and her powerful voice that she shares for Iowa crime victims. 

As a child I witnessed my grandmother as a victim of violence. As an adult, I became a victim myself. I know the struggles, hurts and hardships that victims deal with on a daily basis which led me to create a safe place where women of violence and abuse can heal and grow. With support from the community, Argrow’s House has been serving women in Iowa for the past two years. 

Each and every day I work with the women that we serve who are fighting to be survivors, rather than victims. I see the struggles these women deal with and how a court system that should be giving them a voice is actually retraumatizing them, over and over again. 

Across the country, April 19 thru 25 has been designated National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This is a week where we can turn our attention to the fact that we can do more for crime victims.

In particular, we must do more for Iowa victims. It’s true that there is currently a law in Iowa that is supposed to give crime victims a say in the process. In reality, the current law is not enough and victims are falling through the cracks. Women I have worked with have been kept out of important decisions in their case, many times not even informed of when the hearings will be held. Many women are not given protection from their abusers, several have not been given the opportunity to be heard in court and all of them feel like the justice system that was meant to protect them instead failed them. 

When someone becomes the victim of a crime and enters the court process in our state, they are thrown into a system that is tilted to favor the rights of the accused, based upon the elevated rights outlined for them in our state constitution. The system is automatically set up to fail the victim because their rights are not enshrined in the constitution, alongside the rights of the accused. 

A crime victims’ rights amendment would balance the scales of justice. Not only would this give crime victims the enforceable right to be heard at trial, to be informed of hearings, to be reasonably protected - this measure would empower victims and allow them to reclaim a sense of self-worth, a sense of dignity and respect, knowing the court system values them and makes them a priority. 

This is not just a law, it’s a person’s life, their safety and well-being. During this National Crime Victims’ Rights Week we must recognize that passing a crime victims’ rights amendment is a good start for Iowa victim survivors.

One of our strong survivor victims, Shal continues to bravely share her story with anyone will listen. This NCVRW she penned an opinion piece to help empower other victims and be their voice for change. Thanks for never backing down, Shal. 

The day that I left my husband he became very angry. In front of my children, he punched me, full-force in the head. One would think the situation and all that followed - hospital visits, traumatic brain injury, living in a shelter - was the most terrifying part of my situation. The way our criminal justice system failed me and let me fall through the cracks was nearly as traumatizing as the assault itself. 

Through the entire criminal justice process, I was never notified of any of the court dates concerning my case. Not once was I told that I could be at the hearings. I was never informed on what was happening with the case. Why would it be incumbent upon me, as the victim, to somehow find out the details that affect my life, my well-being, my safety? 

Every day I was involved in the criminal justice process I felt like I did not matter, that I had no value. The system was designed to protect and value the person who brutally beat me and left me with a brain injury. My story is not unique. This is happening to crime victims all across Iowa. Our state can do better than this. 

As it stands now, our system is out of balance. Crime victims in Iowa deserve to have constitutionally protected rights. Rights that would ensure they are informed of any and all hearings, that they are allowed to make their voice heard, that they are guaranteed reasonable protection from the person who hurt them. 

If legislators in Iowa go through one more session and fail to pass a crime victims’ rights amendment, they are failing all Iowans - the ones like me who have suffered this terrible process and those who will unknowingly become victims someday in the future. 

We must give victims a voice in our state constitution. 

Shal-Marie Winter

Our Tales From the Road today reminds us that we're all working toward the same goal - protected rights for crime victims. It's great hitting the road and meeting with others who share our goals and finding new ways to work together. 

We stumbled upon a lot of fun in small towns across Iowa during our 99 county tour which we call the #RoadtoRights. Sarah breaks down a good one in our latest Tales From the Road. 

Today's Tales From the Road post is a look back at an event we attended in Cedar Rapids where we were pleasantly surprised to find Iowans are more than willing to be the voice of others when it comes to doing what is right.