HELPING
TERRORISM VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Kathryn Turman Talks About Lessons Learned
03/26/04
The
FBI Office for Victim Assistance, headed by Kathryn
Turman, was created shortly after the 9/11/01 attacks.
It’s mission: to centralize FBI "victim-witness" operations
and aggressively develop policies and resources
that ensure victims of federal crimes have access
to the rights and assistance to which they are
entitled under the law. What kind of crimes? The
full range--from victims of financial fraud...to
child abuse victims in Indian Country...to victims
of terrorism. Kathryn’s staff includes specialists
in interviewing children and 112 full-time Victim
Specialist positions in FBI offices across the
country. A big focus since 9/11 has been putting
systems into place to coordinate the FBI response
to victims of terrorism and other mass casualty
crimes–the focus of today’s interview.
Kathryn,
when a catastrophic event occurs--like the 9/11/01
attacks--how do you immediately marshal your resources
to help the victims and their families?
We
usually learn of the death or injury of US citizens
within the first few hours. We will reach out to
the family, give them our condolences, and provide
information on what will happen next and why and
what help they can expect from the FBI. Since the
9/11 attacks, most of these events have occurred
overseas. In these cases, we assume responsibility
for transporting the victim’s remains back
to the US, coordinating the autopsy (which is necessary
for the investigation), collecting dental records
and DNA from family members, and making arrangements
for the final journey home. We make sure families
receive personal effects and the death certificates
they need. We keep them informed every step of the
way and try to provide what comfort and support we
can. As an example, we got a letter from the 7-year-old
son of a terrorism victim: "Thank you for bringing
my Daddy home," he wrote. "Thank you for
sending Ms. B_____ to give me my Daddy’s jewelry.
I didn’t get to say goodbye to him on the phone
but I got to say goodbye at the church."
What
do the victims and families need? And how do you
meet those needs?
Surviving
victims and families of victims above all want and
need information in a timely manner and from an official
source. They also need help with the practical but
horrible realities of losing a loved one to a violent
death far from home. As you can imagine, it is such
a relief to them, feeling so helpless and vulnerable,
when their government steps in to take care of details.
And they need to know that the FBI will continue
to keep them informed no matter how many years an
investigation may last.
In
the case of the 9/11 families, what systems have
you put in place to assist them long term?
The
9/11 terrorist attacks required just a massive response
to the victims and families. No one agency could
do it alone. For our part, over some 18 months, we
have focused on returning personal effects (with
strong assistance from the PENTTBOM team of investigators)
and answering their specific questions. They don’t
want to just imagine the deaths of their loved ones;
they want to know the reality–anything, anything
that we might know as fact. We meet with victims
and families. We share as much as we can about the
investigation, within the legal constraints, of course,
of what can be divulged about an ongoing investigation.
We took some badly damaged personal effects and turned
them over to a company that specializes in restoring
such items. As a result of the cleaning process,
we discovered some previously unfound items, including
a goodbye letter written by a passenger to her family.
We were able to preserve that letter and return it
to the family. Because we are working with over 10,000
victims and family members of the 9/11 attacks, we
created a special informational web page for them
as well as a toll-free number and Internet address
where they can directly reach us.
Finally,
Kathryn, what have you learned from the handling
of this unprecedented act of terrorism? How has
it changed the way you operate...and will operate
in the future?
We
have learned so many lessons, they are hard to count.
Perhaps the most critical lesson is that the rights
and needs of victims must be built into our response
to terrorism from the beginning. We need to have
systems in place for reaching out to victims, for
providing ongoing information and answering difficult
questions, and helping them find assistance resources--regardless
of how many victims there are and where they live.
We should connect with them at many points during
the investigative process. Even the most difficult
and painful issues can be addressed if victims feel
their needs are respected and we are compassionate
and supportive in our dealings with them.
It’s
pretty clear that terrorism is now a part of our
daily reality–and my job is to never forget
that the impact on individuals and families lasts
long after the crime scenes have been cleared; memorials,
erected; and perpetrators, tried and sentenced. In
my office, we believe that If we do what we are required
to do by law and what is right to do, we can help
victims cope, find some justice, and restore their
faith in humankind and their government.
Links: Office
for Victim Assistance