[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 211 (Friday, December 29, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S19303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HELPING VICTIMS OF CRIME

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, there are some things, however, that are 
getting through. The Senate, in one of its final votes before 
adjourning for Christmas, passed legislation aimed at more than 
doubling the assistance that my State and others will have in hand to 
help victims of domestic crime and terrorism.
  I mention this, Mr. President, because I think of the years I spent 
as a prosecutor and I remember so many times we spent hundreds of 
thousands of dollars to prosecute a perpetrator, especially of a 
violent crime, both in the prosecution and in the incarceration, but 
the victim was usually the forgotten person. The victim got no 
assistance, the victim got no help, the victim was left to fend for 
himself or herself.
  What we have done now is raise to half a million dollars in a special 
victims fund for Vermont, under the Victims of Crime Act and under an 
amendment that I propose, that will help these people. I think this 
makes a great deal of sense because the money comes not from the 
taxpayers, the money comes from the criminals. The assessments and the 
fines to the criminal will go into this fund.
  Again, as a former prosecutor, I believe we should bring strong and 
effective prosecution as quickly as possible in these serious crimes. 
We have seen what happened in places like Oklahoma City. Let us not 
forget the victims. When we are setting out the punishment for the 
perpetrator of the crime, when we add fines and assessments, the money 
which can go to help victims all the better. In my experience, the 
victim is usually the person forgotten. All attention is on the 
criminal. This way, we will keep the attention on those convicted of 
violent crimes, but we will make them pay into a fund to help the 
victims.
  I think it is much better. I think victims must be treated with 
dignity and assisted and compensated for their suffering. Who better to 
pay for the restitution than the perpetrators of those crimes 
themselves? I thank the Members of the Senate who have joined with 
that.

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