Parents of Murdered Children — National Day of Remembrance

By Julie Nauman, VCGCB Executive Officer

September 25th marked the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims, a day set aside each year to honor the lives of loved ones taken by violence. Once again, the local Sacramento Chapter of “Parents of Murdered Children” (POMC), in coordination with chapters around the nation, held a special ceremony to remember and pay honor to the sons, daughters and other family members that have been taken away all too soon.

I was privileged to be one of the selected speakers at this year’s POMC event on the north steps of the State Capitol. When I addressed the supporters and families, I conveyed that CalVCP is committed more than ever to helping parents recover from such tragedy. For many, the road to healing is long and arduous and now is a time when victims need our help the most, as well as our support. We understand that and provide mental health treatment, funeral and burial expenses, lost wages and much more for those who have no other means.

There were several other speakers on this day, including: Sean Laird, Sacramento Deputy District Attorney; Ahmale Dorsey, Victim Advocate; and Mindi Russell, Senior Chaplain, Sacramento Law Enforcement. All were on hand to share their thoughts and provide support to grieving parents and family members and be part of this community of victims and survivors.

Sadly, 38 percent of the victims that we help are under 18 years of age. And last year, 31 applications for assistance came to us from a parent or guardian who lost a child to violence. Every day, I see how important it is that we have this service for the thousands of families who have nowhere else to turn. We are continuing to work with our sister agencies to provide the necessary resources and care for these victims and their families. By doing this, we can ensure that Californians have somewhere to turn when the inconceivable happens.

As a united front, we shall always remember and honor all those who have become victims of murder and all those families who lost so much.

Hate Crimes

Guest Blog by District Attorney Jeff Reisig, Yolo County

As we observe hate crimes awareness month, let me explain the nature of a hate crime. They are crimes motivated by a particular bias such as disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

Crimes based on race or ethnicity generally represent 60 percent of all hate crime events, followed by sexual orientation-based crime and then closely by crime based on religion. According to statistics through 2009 from the Department of Justice, hate crimes have been on a general decline since 2001. However, violent crimes still make up around 63% of hate crime.

I want to highlight a case my office recently prosecuted and convicted two men for the beating of a Sikh taxi driver based on the perception that the driver was Muslim. On November 28, 2010, Harbhajan Singh, the cab driver, drove the defendants and their wives home from Harlow’s Bar in Sacramento. Mr. Singh wore a traditional Sikh turban and beard. At the conclusion of the trip, one of the men demanded more change than the fare allowed. Singh merely hesitated to the demand, and then was attacked by the men just as Singh turned to comply. One of the men shouted racial epithets and accused Mr. Singh of being Muslim, then punched Singh in the face repeatedly while the other man attacked from behind. Mr. Singh was almost pulled from the car, but this was prevented by the wife of one of the men and Mr. Singh’s seatbelt. Mr. Singh was able to escape while the two men were distracted by the wife’s efforts. Mr. Singh suffered significant injuries, including a fracture to his eye socket.

The West Sacramento Police were able to find the assailants because the wife who intervened lost her cell phone in the process. The police used the phone and fingerprints collected from the victim’s blood to find two suspects, and a series of interviews established the roles of the two men in the attack. The man with the greater part in the attack pled to the assault and the “hate crime” enhancement and was given a 13 year sentence, due in part to his conviction for a prior assault.

Mr. Singh did nothing to provoke this vicious attack except to be from a different culture. Attacking someone because of their race, religion or other protected basis is not only heinous, but against the ideals we hold as Americans, and must not be tolerated. My office remains committed to diligently prosecuting this type of crime.

Information on hate crime statistics may be found in the latest report by the Attorney General.