Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
A voice for victims: Coordinator's job is to make crime victims, witnesses comfortable with process
Barbara Consentino, the victim-witness coordinator for the commonwealth's attorneys office, speaks with passion and conviction when she's asked about her job.
"People are so intimidated when they come into the criminal justice system,” she said. “It is scary. I feel for everyone, especially the kids [who are sometimes victims in domestic violence cases]. I hope they feel when they leave [my office] that they have been treated with dignity and respect."
Consentino acts as an advocate for victims and their families and for witnesses in criminal cases. Her responsibilities include but are not limited to providing a summary of Virginia's Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act, serving as an escort to court appearances and pre-trial meetings, making notifications of court dates and the case status, offering crisis intervention and providing referrals to other community services and programs.
"Attorneys will get me involved in some cases. [Mostly] those are felony cases in Circuit Court. I read through criminal complaints and warrants. Subpoenas also go out with contact information. Some people just come in to my office," Consentino explained.
High-profile cases, such as homicides, take priority. Consentino most recently assisted the victim's families during the murder trials of Geraldine Thomas-Bush and Michael Steve Hernandez.
But Consentino also works with a lot of people who are involved in domestic violence cases.
In many instances, victims and witnesses have the same concerns, Consentino said.
"They are afraid to see the defendant in the courtroom. They wonder if something will happen to them if they testify," Consentino said. "I try to get them comfortable by taking them into the courtroom [and explaining the procedure] ahead of time."
A trial can be especially difficult on a victim's family, especially when the victim is no longer able to speak for themselves, Consentino said.
"They will often have questions about jury selection or cross-examination [of witnesses]," she explained. "I will explain to them that they may hear hurtful things about their loved ones, and explain the role of the defense attorney. I can't make it better for them, but I want them to know someone cares."
Although her job can be stressful, Consentino said she has found a way to cope.
"If I am doing my personal best, and take each person as an individual, I try to leave it at the office at the end of the day and pick it up the next day," Consentino said. "I only have one chance to make a connection with the family members, and I want them to trust me. So I do spend a lot of time on and off the job preparing for each case."
Background notes
Consentino began her career with the Fairfax County Police Department Victim/Witness Program. She co-sponsored the first Victim Witness Support Group there and has been a counselor for the D.C. Department of Corrections at Lorton Federal Prison.
"I counseled one man who was in prison for manslaughter," Consentino recalled. "That was therapeutic for me. I asked all kinds of questions, and I even took notes.”
At 24, Consentino said she was assaulted by a man who intended to kill her. Using her knowledge of self-defense, she was able to get away from the man, even though she was hurt.
"I know what it is like to be a victim," Consentino said. "Sometimes I will share my personal experience with victims I work with. Sometimes I will just say something that lets them know I understand."
E-mail the reporter: abogdanovic@timespapers.com
You must be logged in to post a comment.