WAUSAU, Wis. — The Marathon County District Attorney’s Office collaborated with Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin and New Horizons on Aug. 28 to help spotlight the rights and resources readily available to victims.

Through a series of eight silhouettes inside the courthouse, observers could scan a QR code that linked directly to resources at the county and state levels, including Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin, The Women’s Community, and statewide crime victim information. Painted bright red for visibility, these silhouettes serve to provide further education on the criminal justice system, while representing the real people who are impacted in the community daily. Each silhouette highlighted a key right guaranteed to victims under Wisconsin’s constitutional crime victims’ rights amendment, known as Marsy’s Law, including: the rights to privacy, to notice, to confer with the prosecution, to be present, to be heard, to restitution, to know their rights, and to have these rights enforced.

“Many victims, who can interact with the criminal justice system by no fault of their own, feel they have to navigate their pain from victimization in silence,” said District Attorney Kyle Mayo. “The silhouettes help remind us that they are not strangers, but rather our neighbors, family, and friends who are victims. Awareness is key to ensuring that these rights are exercised — these victims can only be protected if they know their rights exist and have the means to act on them.”

“Crucial safeguards provided by Marsy’s Law, such as the right to be present and heard, empower current and future victims in our community to be more active and involved in the process. One of the most important aspects for healing after being victimized is feeling that your voice has been heard. We hope the display will help inform community members on the local and state resources available to them if they are or become a victim of crime,” said Jane Graham Jennings, executive director of The Women’s Community, which provides specialized services and resources to people in central Wisconsin affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking.

“We are grateful for the partnership of District Attorney Mayo and The Women’s Community in their pursuit of bringing victim rights awareness to the Wausau area,” said Nela Kalpic, state director for Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin. “They are the ones who help crime victims every day in Marathon County navigate the criminal justice system. Victims deserve visibility and we hope this display brings awareness to the rights available to them.”