Dear Editor,

This community is failing to support victims of sex crimes. The prosecutor’s office is failing to support these victims. They deserve better, and this community can do better. Travis McConnell will do better.

Many have heard the stories. There are far too many of them. There is often no justice for victims of sex crimes because of the failures of the prosecutor’s office. Because of these failures, victim’s voices are not heard. The stories that need telling are swept under the rug, and the truth is just another casualty. The stories that need to be told are about how the victims are intimidated and shamed into silence, how they are bullied out of town and how there is a culture of fear around speaking up for victims.

McConnell’s opponent says he is proud of the work the prosecutor’s office does to support victims. He says they’re doing an excellent job in supporting them. He believes they are doing just fine and that these kinds of crimes are not a problem in this community. His plan as prosecutor is to continue doing what has always been done. His plan is for people to celebrate and maintain the status quo, and he believes that there should be one set of rules for the powerful and another for everyone else.

I can only imagine what these victims — those brave enough to tell their stories despite the intimidation and shame, who share about how poorly they were treated by the very people meant to help them, who were confused and overwhelmed by a process that doesn’t support them — feel when they hear about how the system and their community failed them.

Travis McConnell talks to these victims. He knows what they have experienced. He knows this community must do better. He wants to listen to these victims and properly interview them without any shame or intimidation. He wants victims to be heard, and he wants to ensure their rights are protected throughout the entire process. He wants victims to be informed and included in the process so there is no confusion from poor communication. He wants victims to be treated seriously. He wants victims to be treated with dignity and respect.

This should have never been a matter of politics. Protecting victims of sex crimes should never be something that is in question.

This community can do better. They must do better. Vote Travis McConnell for prosecutor.

Kay Fletcher
Warsaw