Washington, DC —More than two weeks after Hurricane Katrina's devastating blow to the Gulf Coast region, the growing number of violent crime victims there still have no way to even report the offenses committed against them, much less pursue justice or healing—and there does not appear to be any solution or relief in sight.

Senior officials at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), told Witness Justice that "all parties concerned realize that it is premature to expect immediate investigative follow-up." Given the destruction caused by Katrina, it is understandable that the criminal justice process—like all other processes—simply cannot proceed as easily as they would normally. However, victims are eagerly awaiting some word as to when they can expect some kind of plan or action.

OVC said that victims should be able to file a "courtesy report" with any police department which "could be filed and transmitted to the appropriate jurisdiction for appropriate follow up." However, courtesy reports in and of themselves have no legal standing and therefore cannot serve to initiate a criminal investigation, meaning that victims may have to report the same crimes multiple times. "In all probability the victim would need to file an additional report in the appropriate jurisdiction at a later date," OVC admitted.

However, in Houston, where many of Katrina's crime victims have been relocated, law enforcement officials stated bluntly that they are not accepting courtesy reports. "I don't know what a courtesy report is," admitted a representative of Houston's victim service unit. Sgt. Tyson's office at Houston Police Department's Major Assault Unit said, "We're not aware of that kind of report, and are not set up to take reports out of our jurisdiction."

Katrina's crime victims are also expressing frustration and outrage over conflicting directives from OVC. For example, OVC recommends that victims call the toll-free 800 number of the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), which will coordinate calls with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) "for categorizing and follow-up." But OVC told Witness Justice that "an 800 number would not be appropriate for taking a crime report. Aside from issues concerning filing false information, information in such a phoned in report would not be sufficient for prosecution of a violent crime."

Therefore NOVA and IACP are taking police reports from traumatized victims who have mustered up the courage to report the crimes against them, only to find out later that their reports have no legal validity. "Not only is this needlessly re-traumatizing victims," said Helga West, President and CEO of Witness Justice, and survivor of a brutal attempted murder that left her with debilitating injuries, "but it represents a tragic waste of economic and personnel resources at a time when we can least afford it." DOJ estimates that, even under normal circumstances, one's odds of falling victim to violent crime in America are greater than 2 to 1 1 and that more than half of all violent crimes are never reported to the police. 2 The chaos following Hurricane Katrina, however, produced an especially fertile breeding ground for violent crime—from murder to rape to domestic violence, among other offenses—and many nonprofit service providers are scrambling to meet this drastically increased need on their own.

"There are so many obstacles to reporting crime even under the best circumstances," West said. "Forcing victims to unnecessarily relive the horror of violence will further reduce reporting and prosecution rates, allow more violent offenders to remain in our communities, and impede the trauma healing process. Victims deserve at least an opportunity to report crimes promptly and have those crimes investigated in a timely manner, to the fullest extent possible, and to receive assistance in the aftermath."

The first 24 hours are critical to reporting and successfully prosecuting violent crime, West added. As time passes, survivors are able to recall fewer and fewer details about the crime and their assailants, and opportunities to collect critical evidence, needed to apprehend and prosecute criminals, are lost.

It is unclear whether victims in the region are required to submit any kind of statement (i.e. a courtesy report, statement outlining the details of the crime signed in the presence of a law enforcement official, etc.) within a certain timeframe to report the crimes and receive victim assistance and compensation.

By all accounts victims simply are not receiving the support they need. And the more time passes, the less likely they will be to come forward to report the crimes.

"I've been shaking my head in disbelief over the past couple of weeks regarding the response - or lack thereof - to the crime victims of Hurricane Katrina," West said. "The information we've been receiving from authorities has been contradicting, confusing, indecisive, and insensitive to the needs of trauma victims. Victims have lost so much, are deeply traumatized, and need help now."

Nonprofit organizations like Witness Justice and local victim assistance organizations have taken the lead in addressing the influx of cries for help from victims and their loved ones. "Our intent is not to fuel the finger-pointing in the aftermath of Katrina," West asserted. "At the same time, we don't think it's unreasonable to expect leadership through a very difficult jurisdictional crime issue."

Witness Justice is a national, grassroots nonprofit organization created by survivors for survivors. Our mission is to empower victims of violence with the tools, information and support to work through the trauma healing and criminal justice processes. Witness Justice provides direct services for victims throughout the country, offering support regardless of where a victim lives, when or where the crime occurred or whether the crime was ever reported. For more information, please visit us at www.WitnessJustice.org.

¹ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Youth Violence Research Bulletin (February 2002)
² U.S. Department of Justice, National Crime Victimization Survey (September 2004)