Domestic violence victims often aren’t informed of their abusers’ cases. That has to change.

In May 2003, The News & Observer published an important series on domestic abuse in North Carolina. Reporters Andrea Weigl and Angela Bible uncovered the deep disparities across North Carolina with the investigation and prosecution of domestic violence cases. Despite the laws on the books, the interpretation and application of those laws varied wildly from county to county.

As they examined the domestic violence murders that had taken place in North Carolina in 2002, they found that “almost half the killers had been in district court before on domestic violence allegations, which were often dismissed.”

Unfortunately, 15 years after this groundbreaking N&O series, there are still gaps in state law for victims today — they are not guaranteed things like notification of custody of the accused or being informed when there is a hearing related to their case. This November, North Carolina has the opportunity to make a meaningful step in favor of stronger rights for victims. One of the amendments on this year’s ballot will strengthen rights for victims — giving them guaranteed rights in the Constitution — rights that criminal defendants already have.

I’ve been an advocate for abuse victims in North Carolina for over 30 years. I can attest to the varied responses victims get when they pick up the phone and call 911. Many are responded to with professionalism and respect, but many are not.

I have worked with criminal justice professionals who take their jobs seriously and want to do the best job possible for all victims of crime, and I have worked with others who exercised bias against the victim or victims, thereby derailing the case almost immediately. When a victim has a bad experience with law enforcement officers or prosecutors, the re-victimization can be devastating.

After all these years in our courts, and seeing the multiple ways in which crime victims are responded to, I am very pleased to be supporting Marsy’s Law for North Carolina. I firmly believe that anything and everything we can do to mitigate the effects of crime victimization on those who are hurt is a good investment.

The sooner we can help victims and their families get the information and support they need and deserve, the better it will be for them and, ultimately, for North Carolina. But I worry that the real need for the Marsy’s Law amendment is being lost in all the anti-amendment rhetoric.

Becoming a crime victim is not a reflection on someone’s character. It is a life experience that happens to too many people. It is destabilizing, especially if the crime is a violent one. What happens next in the process will either help the victim or the victim’s family find some solid ground to stand on, or they will be further overwhelmed and confused. Cases can take years to get through our courts.

There are bond hearings and other court proceedings that shake the victims all over again. Sometimes, despite our electronic notification system, offenders are released from jail without the victims’ knowledge. Imagine thinking the offender is behind bars and then, without warning, seeing the assailant out in the community. It happens and it is terrifying. Marsy’s Law will provide crime victims with a voice throughout the process. They deserve no less.

This story was originally published August 20, 2018 at 10:46 AM.