Ohio Attorney General Appoints Special Committee for Crime Victims With Disabilities

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has appointed a special panel to advise him on major issues involving crime victims with disabilities.

According to sources, the panel will chalk out plans to assist victims who have special needs.

An investigation by The Dispatch found a justice system in Ohio in which victims often fall through the cracks and don't get help, and perpetrators go unpunished.

People with developmental disabilities are three times more likely to be assaulted than the average population.

"The disabled can be easy prey. Many don't even know what sex is, much less understand that what was done to them was wrong. Others have difficulty communicating what happened to them or are afraid to tell because their attackers are frequently family members and caregivers whom they rely on for their daily care," reports the Daily.

Committee members are:

Amy Bosch, deputy, Franklin County sheriff's office; Sadie Hunter, executive director, People First Ohio; Kim Keel, Trauma Project Coordinator with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services; Tony Kendall, Miami County prosecutor; Michael Kirk man, executive director, Disability Rights Ohio; Carolyn Knight, executive director, Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council; Teri L. Lawlessness, victim/witness division, Greene County prosecutor's office.

Also, Ursel McElroy, Ohio Department of Youth Services; Richard Paterson, Medina County family advocate; James Polutnik, Allen County resident; Deputy Rocco Ross, Stark County sheriff's Office; Terry Russell, executive director, NAMI Ohio; Gary Tonks, executive director, The Arc of Ohio; David Voth, executive director, Crime Victim Services for Allen and Putnam counties, and Kim Weimer, Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.



Source: Medindia