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2006 National Crime Victims' Rights Week The honorees received special recognition during the awards ceremony hosted April 21, 2006, by the Office for Victims of Crime to honor victim advocates, organizations, and programs in the field of victim services.
To view more details, click on a photo for an enlarged view. National Crime Victim Service Awards
Sharon Rocha Sharon Rocha is the mother of Laci Peterson and the grandmother of Laci's unborn son, Conner. Laci and Conner were murdered on Christmas Eve in 2002. This murder case received worldwide publicity that forced Sharon and her family into the media spotlight. Despite her personal tragedy, Sharon never lost sight of what had to be done to bring her daughter's and unborn grandson's killer to justice. Laci's husband was convicted of this crime and sentenced to death. Despite the tragic loss of her loved ones, Sharon displayed unstoppable courage and resolve in many endeavors that undoubtedly assisted her in dealing with her grief, while at the same time assisting other crime victims. Along with several other families of victims, she lobbied for the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which was signed into law by President Bush and is now known as "Laci and Conner's Law." Sharon has written letters to officials in several other states to lobby for similar state laws regarding fetal homicide. She joined the Sund/Carrington Foundation as a board member in March 2005. Sharon is continuing her work as an advocate for victims' rights. She currently works with the Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office to author new laws for victims' rights in California. The intent of these laws will be to ensure that victims and their families have access to the court process. California law is vague on the rights of victims and victims' families to be present during the court process because of issues or potential conflicts such as being a subpoenaed witness, or, in the case of a high-profile trial, the limited number of seats available in the courtroom. If these new laws are successful, victims' family members will have access to court hearings even if they are subpoenaed witnesses, and will be ensured seating, even in high-profile cases. Sharon has vowed to help causes related to victims' rights, domestic violence, and protecting the unborn from violent crime. She plans to continue to use her tragic loss and experiences with the criminal justice system to do what she can to assist other victims. In December 2005, Sharon founded, in memory of Laci and Conner, The Laci and Conner Search and Rescue Fund. The fund is a program under the Carole Sund/Carrington Foundation, whose purpose is to provide financial assistance to law enforcement and nonprofit search and rescue organizations for training, equipment, and other necessary items that can help improve their search and rescue efforts. Sharon was nominated by Carol Shipley, Assistant District Attorney, Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office, Modesto, California.
Delilah Rumburg Delilah Rumburg is a revered national leader in the anti-sexual violence movement. As Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Delilah has helped to shape national policy on violence against women. Serving victims of crime for more than 19 years, Delilah began her work on violence against women in 1981. Since 1995, Delilah has served as Executive Director of PCAR. During that time, she has overseen the coalition's tremendous growth, increasing funding from $3.5 million in 1995 to more than $13 million today. In addition to increasing funding for Pennsylvania's 52 rape crisis centers, Delilah continues to advocate for victims of crime throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She is a gubernatorial appointee to the Pennsylvania Commission of Crime and Delinquency, serves as Chair of the Victim Services Advisory Council, and previously served on the Governor's Partnership for Safe Children. Delilah's accomplishments on behalf of crime victims carry over into the national level as well. Most recently, she was appointed by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to The Department of Defense Task Force on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies, where she served as co-chair. In this capacity, Delilah has assessed and made recommendations for the military academies on how to respond to sexual violence. Her continued service on behalf of victims of crime has been met with great success and acclaim. Delilah was nominated by Janet MacKay, Board President, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, Enola, Pennsylvania.
Steven R. Siegel Steven R. Siegel has served crime victims at the local, state, and national levels for more than 29 years. Steve is a state and national expert with an incredible range of knowledge and experience. He is the literal definition of the term "pioneer"—from his early efforts to support the National Organization for Victim Assistance, serving as an Advisory Board member for the National Victim Center (now known as the National Center for Victims of Crime) to his role as a founding member and board member of the National Victims' Constitutional Amendment Network (NVCAN) in 1986. He has also mentored new victim advocates, showing by example the importance of their work. Steve's accomplishments are vast. They range from the creation of one of the first domestic violence "fast track" programs in the Nation to his current efforts to create a domestic violence triage system to more safely and effectively serve the 5,000+ victims that pass through the Denver system annually. He serves on the Executive Committee of the NVCAN Board of Directors. In that role, he has provided consultation and technical assistance to more than 20 states as they successfully sought to pass their state-level constitutional amendments. Steve currently serves as the Director of Program Development for the Denver District Attorney's Office. Under Steve's innovative leadership, the Denver District Attorney's Office has received funding for the creation of multiple projects that have become national models, including Victim Services 2000, which is a demonstration model of a coordinated victim services network. As illustrated by these and many other efforts, Steve has shown an amazing ability to address the needs of crime victims in large and small ways. He deals daily with individual crime victims and with the state and national policy issues that help determine what services and resources are in place to support crime victims. Steve is recognized as a leader, a pioneer, and perhaps most importantly, a mentor to countless colleagues who count on him for guidance and support. He is truly selfless in giving his time and expertise to victims and survivors, victim advocates, justice and allied professionals, and the news media. Steve was nominated by Mary McGhee, Colorado Department of Human Services, with support from Nancy Lewis, Steve Derene, Anne Seymour, and 17 other supporters from the victim services field.
Hogar de Niños Regazo de Paz Hogar de Niños Regazo de Paz is a home for abused and abandoned children, where the ravaging effects of child abuse are confronted on a daily basis. This organization has accomplished a great deal on behalf of the abused children of Puerto Rico. Since opening in 1995, Hogar de Niños Regazo de Paz has provided care and services to 186 boys and girls from all over Puerto Rico. It has successfully provided all necessary therapy to each and every child, as well as pediatric and psychometric evaluations that have allowed for the assessment of the children's physical and emotional health. Hogar de Niños Regazo de Paz also has had a tremendous influence on the surrounding community in the area of child abuse prevention. Through its community outreach program, approximately 1,200 students have been educated on issues of child abuse, detection and prevention methods, and effective disciplinary methods for parents and family members. Hogar de Niños Regazo de Paz has influenced the way in which children—battered, abused, abandoned, or victimized by domestic violence—are cared for. Unlike many institutions, Hogar de Niños Regazo de Paz has demonstrated that a shelter can be run like a home, with people who love and care for the children and who constantly strive to meet their needs, both physically and emotionally. Hogar de Niños Regazo de Paz was nominated by Kirsten Wagoner of Hogar de Niños de Paz. |
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