You're Not Alone: The Journey from Abduction to Empowerment

VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENTAt the sentencing phase of your trial,as the survivor, you will have theopportunity to give a victim impactstatement. This is your opportunityto say how you feel and how thisexperience has changed your life.Impact statements are given justprior to sentencing and are intendedto influence the sentence the judgeimposes.Preparing your statement. Hopefully you will be notified ofyour right to give an impact statement well in advance of the day of sentencing so you canprepare what you want to say. You don’t have to recite your statement from memory. You canwrite it out or type it. This is an experience that may trigger all sorts of emotions and bringback many memories. You may have a hard time standing up in a courtroom full of strangersand reading it to your perpetrator.Here are our words of advice:>> Give yourself plenty of time to prepare it.>> Go slow when you make your statement.>> Try not to be afraid of the perpetrator. You will be wellprotected as you read your statement. There will be plentyof physical distance between you.If you want to make a statement but do not wish to speak, that’sfine. You can have an advocate or designated family member beyour representative to speak on your behalf. You don’t even have toprepare a statement at all if you choose not to.38