NASHVILLE, TN (CNN) — Many victims’ rights advocates in Middle Tennessee are outraged over the latest development in the Vanderbilt rape trial.
The cases for Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey have been severed. Batey’s trial will begin on Monday.
Advocates said when it comes to trial time, other people’s concerns and issues wrongfully trump the victim’s concerns and issues.
The Sexual Assault Center in Nashville serves 600 victims a year. Officials said they put victims first, even when the courts don’t.
“It could make our criminal justice system look very daunting for a survivor,” said Verna Wyatt with Tennessee Voices for Victims.
Wyatt said everyone else in the Vanderbilt rape trial is being treated better than the victim.
“Her life is the one that has been drastically impacted,” Wyatt said. “And when the trial happens, it’s not about what’s convenient for the victim, it’s about what’s convenient for the attorneys, the defendant, the judge. It’s sad, and the person that really suffers is the victim.”
Prosecutor Tom Thurman pointed that out after Tuesday’s hearing.
“All the circumstances of this case that just put her on an emotional roller coaster where she gets up to go to trial, then she is down,” Thurman said. “It’s been a horrible experience for her.”
Wyatt said she believes the legal team is the one that should be asked to make last-minute changes.
“That’s ridiculous. The attorney has health problems. I am sorry for him, but that’s not the victim’s fault, not society’s fault,” Wyatt said. “They need an attorney to step in and take his place.”
Advocates said they worry high-profile cases like this will discourage other victims from coming forward.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, call the Sexual Assault Center’s crisis and support line at 800-879-1999.
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