In honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and the 11th Annual Kansas Crime Victims’ Rights Conference, Attorney General Steve Six spoke with professionals and volunteers about the importance of working together to serve victims. Six also presented the Attorney General’s 2008 Victim Service Awards.

“To ensure victims’ rights, we have to effectively assist victims at every step in the criminal justice process. We must work as a team—from first responders, to healthcare professionals, to victim advocates, to counseling centers,” Six said. “We can ensure that each victim is treated appropriately and is given the opportunity to heal and more forward.”

Six spoke at the annual conference of professionals and volunteers who work with programs that assist crime victims. Six also presented this year’s awards for outstanding service to crime victims.

The Criminal Justice Award recognizes exceptional work by a law enforcement professional in the area of victims’ rights. This years’ award was given to Ellen Mitchell the Saline County Attorney.

Mitchell served for 24 years as an attorney in Saline County, first as an assistant county attorney, then city prosecutor and currently as county attorney. During that time, she was committed to serving victims and identifying their needs.

Mitchell has served as Board President of the Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas. She has dedicated her time to educating many in her community about the needs of crime victims.

Mitchell was instrumental in starting the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and Sexual Assault Response Team programs in Salina.

“Not only does she work to ensure victims’ rights are met, she delivers justice by prosecuting criminals to the fullest extent of the law,” Six said.

The next award went to Verlene Kunz of Garden City for serving as an Outstanding Victim Advocate.

After retiring from SRS, Kunz completed the volunteer advocate training through the Spirit of the Plains Court Appointed Special Advocates. She immediately began taking on the toughest cases. She helped kids who were the victims of sexual abuse, neglect, and physical abuse.

Kunz assists victims and becomes a part of these children’s lives, even attending their graduations. She is a true example of a “volunteer advocate.”

“Verlene has been a dream come true for these children, giving them the voice they deserve in court,” Six said.

The Community Champion Award, given to Officer Dwain Diehl of the Wichita Police Department, recognizes an individual who made a positive contribution regarding the needs of victims in their community.

Officer Diehl was committed to stopping the “revolving door” for female prostitutes in the area of South Broadway in Wichita. As a Community Policing Officer, he realized these women were the victims of sexual assault, rape and domestic abuse.

The “revolving door” occurs when the police arrest a prostitute, book them into jail and within hours find them on the street again. Some of these women are drug addicts, homeless, and caught in a cycle of violence.

Officer Diehl wanted to offer more to make a real difference in these women’s lives. Working with the YWCA and other community organizations, Project Butterfly was born.

This program offers hope, help, and an opportunity for a violence free life. Because of Officer Diehl and Project Butterfly, the women receive treatment for their addictions, domestic violence and sexual assault education and the support they need to establish a drug-free, violence-free, self-sufficient life.

“To date this wonderful program has served 160 women. And it is spreading to other communities in Kansas,” Six said. “Officer Diehl has gone above and beyond to help victims in the Wichita community.”

The award for Outstanding Victim Service Organization was given to the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV).

KCSDV is a network of programs reaching across the state whose primary focus is providing support and safety to the victims of crime. KCSDV supports community based programs to ensure top-notch services are available to victims. They also collaborate with state entities to expand services and make the most of available resources.

“This organization has been instrumental in the progress of victims’ rights and services across our state for years,” Six said. “And they have worked very hard to make victim safety an important part of offender reform and accountability.”

The Annual Crime Victims’ Right Conference is hosted by Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Steve Six. It is an educational opportunity for counselors, advocates, law enforcement and more to learn how to better serve crime victims. Workshop topics include stalking, child victims, sexual assault, domestic violence, homicide, cyber crime, the Adam Walsh Act, and more.