I advocate for victims of domestic violence.
A survivor I have been assisting was attacked by an abuser who held him hostage to systematic victimization for two years between 9 and 9. On September 9, the abuser attacked the victim, rupturing the victim's spleen.
The victim filed a police complaint in his hospital room. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has not respected the victim's rights.
On October 15, I accompanied the victim to his first meeting with the Assistant District Attorney assigned to the case against his abuser.
The victim is gay. Also attending that first meeting with the ADA was the D.A.'s Liaison to the Gay and Lesbian Community, Katie Doran.
She alienated the victim rather immediately, by saying "We've seen worse injuries than yours."
Katie Doran has since denied saying that. But I have letters written right after that meeting to the D.A. Complaining of her saying it. And the victim in any event does not feel supported by her, due to additional comments and actions by her thereafter which he found objectionable and off-putting.
The ADA assigned to the case has in many ways not respected the victim's rights. I contacted the Board Chair of Safe Horizon, Ms. Brooke McMurray, asking her if she knew of anybody who could help insure that this victim's rights be respected within the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Ms. McMurray involved Angela Jackson, Associate Vice-President overseeing Safe Horizon's Manhattan Community and Criminal Justice Programs.
Neither I nor the victim had the impression that Angela Jackson was fit to be a victim's advocate. To me she once said "You just have to trust that the criminal justice system will do what it's supposed to do." The victim believes that the District Attorney has not developed a full range of evidence leads in the case. But Angela Jackson instead of competently advocating for him, said "You should be glad they're bringing a case at all."
The victim wanted a meeting with the ADA to clarify the D.A.'s Office's handling of the criminal case. One was set for May 20. The ADA e-mailed the victim, saying that Katie Doran would be attending the meeting. The victim did not want Doran present. She is not an attorney involved on the prosecution side; there is no necessity for her to be at any meeting with him. He sent an e-mail to the ADA, copied to Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson, saying that he did not want Doran to be present at the meeting.
But when he arrived to the meeting, Doran was there, and Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson did not insist that Doran leave the room.
Though one could conceivably think that Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson did not receive the victim's e-mail message, it is relevant to note that the victim had earlier in the year e-mailed Angela Jackson to say that he wanted her to communicate directly with me about the efforts she was making in his name in the D.A.'s Office. Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson refused to fulfill the victim's request. Had she called me in the days before the May 20 meeting, I would have insisted with her that Katie Doran not be present in the meeting.
No victim should have to talk about the private, very painful details of their victimization in front of any person they do not want present. Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson did not take any of the easy steps which a sympathetic, competent victim's advocate would, could and should have taken to protect this victim's rights as regarded the presence of Katie "We've seen worse injuries than yours" Doran at that meeting.
Additionally, Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson according to the victim said many things during the meeting that countered his human rights and abetted the ADA in not respecting those rights, rather than firmly insisting that they be respected.
Those additional considerations are in the realm of "he/said, she/said, " but for the specific complaint of Doran's presence at the May 20 meeting, and Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson's failure to insist that the victim's wish that Doran not be present, I have full documentation. Furthermore, in the course of the meeting the victim became so disturbed by things Doran was saying that he told her he does not consider her a good liaison to the gay and lesbian community and that he did not want her there. Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson did not act on that to have Doran leave the room.
The victim it should be noted has been diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and severe depression as a result of the domestic abuse and injuries he suffered. His treating psychologist wrote a letter giving the diagnosis and saying that the relationship with the D.A.'s Office was worsening his mental health condition. A copy of that letter from the treating psychologist was sent to Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson as well as to the ADA and to Doran. These persons acted without due regard for the victim's mental health. Safe Horizon's Board Chair Brooke McMurray was also sent a copy of the psychologist's letter. Ms. McMurray was copied on all communications from the victim regarding the May 20 meeting. To be explicit; she knew of the victim's desire that Doran not be present, but failed to verify with Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson that Doran would indeed not be there.
Whereas a victims' assistance group like Safe Horizon should be at all moments acting to see that abusers are held accountable, Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson contributed to the likelihood that this victim's abuser will not be held fully accountable.
I sent e-mails of protest after the meeting had taken place. Safe Horizon's Angela Jackson responded by saying that my communications contained "misrepresentations." Again, I have full documentation of the victim's communications saying he did not want Doran present at the May 20 meeting. I asked Safe Horizon's Brooke McMurray to let me know in a timely fashion which parts of my communications were being considered "misrepresentations." I told her that if I saw that through oversight or typographical error or anything else, something I had written were not true, I would retract it. But I received no response.
It is one thing that an ADA would not respect a victim's rights in the case against their abuser. That should never happen, mind you. But that Angela Jackson, the Associate Vice President of the Criminal Justice Program of a victim's aid organization such as Safe Horizon would act counter to a victim's best interests and human rights is a nightmare even Kafka never described.
I sent Safe Horizon's Board Chair Brooke McMurray an e-mail, asking her if she thought a victim should ever have to talk about his victimization in front of a person they do not want present in the room. She did not respond.
Those in the community vulnerable to victimization are at greater peril because Safe Horizon is operating this way.
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