Commentary -- A bit on the Special Victims' Counsel

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Trena Campbell
  • 482nd Fighter Wing Judge Advocate Office
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. --  In the fight against sexual assault, the Air Force launched the Special Victim's Counsel Program in January 2013.

Under this program, victims of sexual assault may request a specially trained attorney to represent them free of charge. The SVC team is made up of at least one Special Victims' Counsel, an Air Force judge advocate, and at least one Special Victims' paralegal. The team's objective is to provide sexual assault victims with advice and advocacy throughout the entire investigatory and military justice process thereby prioritizing victims' rights and empowering them to voice their concerns.

Recently, I had the opportunity to perform annual tour at the SVC office, RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom. I experienced first-hand the extraordinary degree of diligence practiced in each case to support and advocate on the victim's behalf and to preserve the victim's rights. To be clear, the SVC's role is different than a judge advocate who works in the base legal office and from that of an Area Defense Counsel.

During the military justice process, a judge advocate from the base legal office represents the government's interest and another judge advocate, known as the Area Defense Counsel, represents the person accused of committing a crime. However, in the case of a sexual assault, an SVC's responsibility is to represent solely the interests of the victim.

A notable benefit of an SVC/SVP team is independent representation. Because the SVC's supervisory chain is located in Washington, DC and not at the local base level, the SVC is able to zealously advocate on the victim's behalf without local influence on representation. Also, reporting a sexual assault to an SVC does not affect a victim's reporting options. While SVCs cannot accept a restricted report, they can help to facilitate restricted reporting to the appropriate personnel.

A victim may contact his or her local SVC/SVP team directly or may ask to be referred through the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator or Family Advocacy.

In the event of a sexual assault, consider contacting the local SVC office as it is an excellent resource for free and professional legal help.

Homestead's local SVC/SVP team is located at Hurlburt Field, Florida. To contact the SVC/SVP, call (850)-884-4509 or email AFLOA.SVC.Hurlburt@Hurlburt.af.mil. There is also an Air Force SVC Facebook page located at www.facebook.com/airforcesvc.