a nonprofit organization for children's rights

Victims' Check List

When I started my investigation into the criminal case surrounding my daughters’ death, I felt completely overwhelmed. I created the list below which I followed and thought it might be of help to others as well. First and foremost, if you haven’t reported the crime, do it now. You can find a list of child abuse and neglect hotline numbers for each state by clicking here. If it’s an emergency, call 911 immediately.

1-     Victim Rights Laws – Make sure you are aware of your rights as a victim. Victim Rights Laws may be different in each state. You should be able to obtain a copy of your Victim Rights Laws from your local government.

2-     Be Organized – Being organized also includes your thoughts. Make sure people understand what you are trying to say. Following the rest of this list can help in organizing your thoughts.

3-     Journal – Keep a detailed journal of what occurred and who you reported the crime to. WRITE DOWN THE NAME OF THE PERSON YOU SPOKE WITH. [names, dates, times, etc.]

4-     Documentation – Make sure to save all supporting documentation. If you filed a police report, make sure you obtain a copy of that report. Keep all your documentation in chronological order.

5-     Timeline – One excellent way of keeping track of your case is to create a timeline of the chain of events. Be as concise as possible.

6-     Letters – When requesting documents, writing letters or filing complaints, make sure you know the right protocol. Don’t go from (A) straight to (Z). For example, if you have a complaint or request, find out if there is a supervisor. If you are not able to obtain what you are looking for from the supervisor, then go to the next person above the supervisor.

7-     Be Patient – This is the most important step. Take a deep breath and try to relax. Nothing productive will be gained if you lose your cool.

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  We are not attorneys and therefore cannot give you any legal advice. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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