Office of Victim Witness Advocacy
- Office of Victim Witness Advocacy
"Mission Statement"
The Sussex County Prosecutor's Office of Victim Witness Advocacy's mission is
to ensure that victims of crimes are treated with fairness, compassion, and
respect by the criminal justice system as mandated by Paragraph 22, Article 1 of
the New Jersey Constitution. In order to accomplish this mission, the Unit
provides services to assist victims and witnesses in coping with the aftermath of
victimization and help make their participation in the criminal justice system
less difficult and burdensome. Additionally, information on crime victims' rights
and the impact of crime on victims is disseminated to the public, law
enforcement, and social service agencies in order to help broaden the
understanding and assistance of crime victims.
We all know about crime, but we don't expect it to involve us. We think of crime as something that happens to someone else.
What happens if crime touches your life? What do you do, where do you go, and what can be expected of you?
The Office of Victim Witness Advocacy can answer these questions for you. Specially trained Victim Advocates provide services to help victims of crime. If you have been the victim of a crime these services can provide the information and support you need, completely free of charge.
For more information, please select from the topics below.
For more information, contact our staff:
Carolyn Zydel, Victim Witness Coordinator
General questions on adult criminal matters and victim assistance
Laura Santaita, Victim Advocate - Domestic Violence Unit
For assistance with Domestic Violence cases in both Family and Superior Court
Amy Rochette, Victim Advocate - Juvenile Unit
Questions about crimes committed by juveniles (under age 18) and Juvenile Family Court
All advocates are Certified Disaster Response Crisis Counselors