By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
No one asks to be a victim. Yet each year, hundreds of unwilling participants are dragged into the justice system through no fault of their own. April 23-29 is National Crime Victims' Week, and Barton County Victim Advocate Camila Komarek spoke before the county commission Wednesday as part of a proclamation recognizing the week.
"National Crime Victims' Rights Week brings us closer to victims of all crimes," she said. "This year, we emphasize our vision of reaching all victims with the theme, 'Survivor Voices: Elevate, engage, effect change,' which calls upon communities to amplify the voices of survivors and create environments where survivors have confidence they will be heard, believed, and supported."
In 2022, the Barton County Attorney's Office filed approximately 459 criminal cases, 1,100 traffic cases, and 75 juvenile offender cases. Komarek assisted 279 victims in those cases. Commissioner Donna Zimmerman spent several decades in the Barton County Courthouse, including 26 years as the county clerk. She praised the county for having a victims' advocate.
"I remember a time before we had a victims advocate upstairs, and I remember how difficult it was for victims to even find information about what was going on in their own hearing," she told Komarek. "So I'm glad you're here."
Komarek made 2,842 contacts with victims last year regarding notification of hearings, follow-up with information on the cases, criminal justice support and advocacy, and assistance with filing claims with the Kansas Crime Victim Compensation Board.