“I was born and raised in Venezuela and came here on a tourist visa when I was 28 years old. When I first arrived, I worked every possible job you can imagine, from waiting tables to driving a forklift in a warehouse. Over time, I got better and better jobs and worked on my immigration status. I’m now the Hispanic Victim/Witness Coordinator for the Shelby County DA’s office, helping Hispanics get justice when they’re the victims of crime. I deal with cases involving theft, simple robbery, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, rape, child molestation, murder, assault, domestic abuse, everything. If the victim is Hispanic, the case comes directly to me. Many Hispanics don’t file police reports when they’re violated because they don’t understand how the system works. They don’t know what to expect, and there’s the fear of the unknown. But if someone is the victim of a crime here, they have rights. My work is to make contact with them, make them aware that someone here can communicate with them in their own language, and then guide them through the judicial system. I let them know that help is available to them.
“One particularly rewarding case that came through our office involved an 11-year-old girl who was sexually abused. The child’s family was contacted and helped through the legal process, the perpetrator was convicted, and the child was referred for counseling. Without the family's cooperation, the defendant would have gotten off the hook and would only have targeted someone else. We need Hispanic victims to come forward and stay with the case to help us get convictions. When they do, it helps the entire community.”
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For information helpful to the entire Hispanic community in Memphis, readers are encouraged to visit the FB page La Voz de la Communidad (The Voice of the Community). The group also welcomes messages or questions.
“One particularly rewarding case that came through our office involved an 11-year-old girl who was sexually abused. The child’s family was contacted and helped through the legal process, the perpetrator was convicted, and the child was referred for counseling. Without the family's cooperation, the defendant would have gotten off the hook and would only have targeted someone else. We need Hispanic victims to come forward and stay with the case to help us get convictions. When they do, it helps the entire community.”
************
For information helpful to the entire Hispanic community in Memphis, readers are encouraged to visit the FB page La Voz de la Communidad (The Voice of the Community). The group also welcomes messages or questions.
Andres E. Mata, Hispanic Victim/Witness Coordinator
Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office
201 Poplar, Suite 301
Phone: 901-222-1432
Email: andres.mata@scdag.com
Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office
201 Poplar, Suite 301
Phone: 901-222-1432
Email: andres.mata@scdag.com
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