No ribbons for victims

I APPLAUD Mr Chang for his acknowledgement of victims of crime (FT 01/11) as we celebrate Yellow Ribbon Day to support prisoners and their families.

While it is a noble gesture indeed to provide counselling, vocational training and other support to prisoners, as well as employment opportunities for them extramurally, little if any support is offered to those, as Mr Chang mentioned, left scarred physically and mentally for life following sexual and other assaults.

In my case, I was questioned for an hour by police after the offence was committed before being taken to hospital. The doctor asked the nurse to clean my neck. No one up until that point had pointed out or treated my bleeding neck where the offender had used a knife and of which I wasn’t aware. There was no full medical examination, no swab taken, no woman present from the women’s assault unit, no prophylaxis given, no counselling or testing for HIV/AIDS despite there being protocols in place, both by police and the Ministry of Health, in response to victims of sexual assault.

When I was attacked by three men who came into my home with a knife, baseball bat and scissors, after they robbed me, threatened to kill my small dog and left me blindfolded, gagged and with tied wrists, what support was offered to me? When the DPP summoned me to court as principal witness for the aggravated robbery case, my employer did not offer me special leave, instead, made me use my annual leave.

While I feel some compassion for the loved ones perpetrators of such crimes, I had to get back up on the proverbial alone. I can imagine how some victims of crime would be left broken, both physically and mentally.

No one rushed to support me; no one pinned bright ribbons on trees to remember those whose lives have changed forever. Except you, Mr Chang.

Thank you for your good heart.

JULIE SUTHERLAND

Tamavua, Suva