Attorney General Karen Freeman-Wilson and Ann DeLaney, the shelter s executive director, also took part. O Bannon said, gesturing to abuse survivors brightly colored mosaics in the center s art therapy room.
Counselors give old plates and bowls to survivors of sexual and domestic abuse.
They ask the victims to shatter the dishes, just as violence has shattered their lives, and then to rearrange the shards into mosaics symbolizing their hopes for the future. The people who will benefit from this new law have suffered through no fault of their own and are already struggling to recover mentally and physically from being shot or attacked in another violent way. They shouldn t have to worry about lost wages or doctor bills, the governor added. The legislation increases by 50 percent the maximum amount a victim may recover for crime-related medical expenses, lost wages, funeral expenses, and in some cases, lost support for dependents of the victim. Representative Sturtz, who served LaGrange County as its sheriff for 10 years, said law enforcement officials sometimes lose sight of victims needs in the rush to bring criminals to justice.