Honoring victims of crimes and those who serve those victims.
That was what a ceremony Monday night was all about at the Cole County Sheriff's Department.
A candlelight vigil was held to open National Crime Victims Rights week and it was an opportunity to,"renew our commitment to build on the progress of the past and champion the resilience of survivors and their courage to persevere," Missouri Department of Corrections Victims Services Coordinator Kimberly Evans said.
"We've come a long way in the last 35 years," Evans said. "Every year we remember to continue the efforts to make sure victims get the help they need to heal from crime. People forget that victims didn't plan to be in this situation. They are thrown into a system that is confusing and complex."
Evans said DOC works to make sure to educate victims. Thanks to state statutes, victims are now notified of court dates when those accused of committing the crimes against them are taking place.
"It wasn't that long ago when victims were on their own trying and figure out what was going on," Evans said. "Those notifications were first done by letters, but now it's through phone and text messages."
Some of the specific crimes that require victim notification are sex offenses, dangerous felony domestic violence charges and voluntary manslaughter.
Lisa Saylor was the victim of an abusive husband for several years in southwest Missouri and now works to advocate for victims who have suffered in similar situations. She testified for legislation to help victims like herself in 2012 and was at the signing of that legislation into law in 2013 by then Gov. Jay Nixon.
"When talking about domestic violence, one of the things many people ask is 'why didn't you just leave,'" Saylor said. "I answer that by asking, if your house is on fire what is the one treasured item you'd take before you left and everyone would say your kids, of course. Now imagine you get your children out of the burning home, only to be directed by a fire fighter to send your kids back in. As moms, we wouldn't do that and that was what was happening to me and my child every other weekend. I was a Mom and I was going to stay and protect my kid."
Last June, Saylor said the legal battle to protect her children ended when step-parent adoption was granted and she and her daughter have a new loving husband and father in their lives.
"The truth is we often find ourselves in a fog and are mischaracterized for not leaving an abusive situation," Saylor said. "Navigating all these resources and having to reveal abuse that we've often fought to keep quiet is a hard thing to face. The numbers are one in three. They're not just from one side of town or from one particular economic or social group. We're sitting in your churches, we're your co-worker, a friend and a family member, and we're trying to hold it together."
Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson said victims need to know they will be heard and those who perpetrate these crimes will be held accountable.
"For whatever reason, victims are sometimes expected to move on and get over what has happened to them," Thompson said. "For that reason a lot of victims don't feel safe or appreciated or believed. It doesn't have to be that way. Luckily, the Missouri State Constitution is one of the few in the Country that specifically protects the rights of victims and we as citizens, in this community, must take a stand for the rights of victims. They must know that they will be believed and protected."
There will be other local events this week to honor Missouri victims of crime. A ceremony will be held at noon Wednesday in the Capitol Rotunda with Gov. Mike Parson scheduled to speak. On Saturday, a Crime Victim's Rights Resource Fair will be 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Memorial Park. This event will feature organizations which address the issues of prevention, safety, recovery, physical, financial and emotional needs of crime victims.