You're 12 years old, and someone has hurt you. The police arrested them, and they are "getting in trouble." Next week, a judge is going to hold something called a hearing. The judge will make decisions, and you might have to go - maybe even talk to the judge and other adults about what happened. How are you going to handle all of this?
For many kids, this is a time when their parents or a close family member answer their questions, take them where they need to go, and offer reassurance. But for some kids, that support isn’t there. Maybe the person who hurt them is their parent. Maybe their parents aren’t around, and they’re living in a foster home. Who will show up for them?
Sometimes, other adults play a role in offering specific support. For instance, the District Attorney's (DA) office, the attorneys who prosecute the case, has people in their Victim Witness Unit who can guide a victim through the court process. When victims are engaged in criminal proceedings, there’s a better chance that justice will be served. The goal of the DA’s office is to secure a conviction. But when a child needs more support than the Victim Witness Unit can provide, there is a gap.
Marsy’s Law ensures that victims of crime have certain rights. If you are a child victim, there is "special consideration" given to ensuring those rights are met. It allows adults to support the child’s rights through the help of a volunteer. CASA of Marathon County in Wisconsin has begun piloting this work, but there are still barriers to giving kids the support they deserve. While Marsy’s Law allows a volunteer to support child victims in this situation, there aren’t guidelines about “how.” No one in the process - from the judge to the district attorney - is allowed to give out a victim’s, let alone a child’s, contact information. That means adults at the hearing can decide a child needs more or different support, but it’s not clear how to make that happen.
CASA is well-positioned to provide this support. Our community volunteers have passed background checks, been trained by our staff, and sworn in by the courts to serve in their child advocacy role. They are ready to show up for children who have experienced abuse - and to make an impact beyond the courtroom.
For example, if a child and their parent has a no-contact order following criminal charges, and it’s time to enroll in school, who will make sure the child is registered? Or if they need non-urgent medical care, who can provide legal consent for that care? A CASA can work within the court system while also supporting the child holistically, ensuring that a no-contact order doesn’t block access to essential needs. But we need courts and legal parties to be able to connect the child to a volunteer.
As an agency, we are part of conversations with judges, DAs, and legislators about how to support kids who otherwise have no one, and how to make sure their rights as victims are fully met. As someone who supports the work of Canopy Center, you have shown up to ensure children who have been abused get the support they deserve. Follow along this year as we continue paving a path to ensure we’re showing up for all child abuse victims in our community.
