SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan Monday hosted a first-of-its-kind virtual crime victim and survivor summit, which will bring together victims, survivors, service providers and stakeholders.
The DA's office said the innovative summit will provide educational workshops and identify gaps and needs in crime prevention, protection of victims and survivor healing.
A number of stake holders will be speaking at the summit and then they'll be brainstorming and workshopping different ideas. One of those speakers is Brent King. Brent is the father of Chelsea King who was kidnapped and murdered at age 17 ten years ago.
Her legacy carried on though through Chelsea's Law. It went into effect within months of her kidnapping and murder. County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, a state assemblyman at the time, introduced the legislation, with the support of her parents. The law allows an offender to be sentenced to life without parole, for a crime other than murder.
Participants at the summit will come together for presentations from victims, survivors, service providers, researchers, experts and professionals that will focus on forms of victimization and trauma, including violent loss of life, domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, mass threat of violence and hate crimes.
District Attorney Summer Stephan sad the goal is to transform and improve systems of care.
“We will produce a blueprint for change, a blueprint that will guide us on how we transform the services to victims and how reduce and intervene in harm. We’re going to learn from each other and we’re going to grow, but we’re going to also take action,” San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said.
In addition, DA Stephan said the summit will incorporate the vantage points that reflect diversity in color, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
"San Diego County has been at the forefront of best practices in the care for victims of crime but there are critical gaps that remain and will be addressed," she said.