King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Advocates for Domestic Violence Legislation
Today, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office joined state legislators and advocates from across Washington state in a press conference highlighting a suite of bills aimed at enacting comprehensive protections of victims of domestic violence, reducing the risk of gun and gender-based violence, among other policies.
Colleen McIngalls, Director of Victim Services in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, spoke about the critical need to take action this legislative session:
“Thank you Senator Dhingra, for your constant dedication and advocacy for crime victims. My name is Colleen McIngalls, and I’m the Director of Victim Services with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. On behalf of our newly elected Prosecutor, Leesa Manion, we want to express our strong support of critical funding for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Our current system chronically underfunds victim services and relies on the backs of offenders to sustain those resources for victims of crime. Subsequently, we have seen decades of budget cuts that have left vulnerable crime victims, families and children at greater risk. Since the pandemic, we have experienced increased calls for domestic violence and sexual assault service which have led to long wait lists. If these cuts continue, programs like our Child Advocacy Center in King County may experience a 60% cut, which could eliminate our forensic interviewers, or drastically impact our multidisciplinary coordination on child and adult sexual assault investigations. A survivor’s access to timely, supportive advocacy, transitional housing, and legal aid literally saves lives. We must fundamentally change how we fund victim services in Washington, and relying on VOCA funding that in many ways continues to perpetuate harm by underfunding victims and sticks bad debt to offenders, is failing. In King County, we believe that crime against one is a crime against a community. And we at the King County Prosecutor’s Office seek justice on behalf of victims for the State. We are part of a social contract between victims and the community. It’s time for the State to make a continued, sustainable commitment to lift survivors by sustainably investing in victims and victim services across our state.
Earlier this year, King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion announced the creation of a new division of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office focused on gender-based violence and prevention. At the time of the announcement, Manion said, “the purpose of this new division is to elevate and improve our office’s response to gender-based violence. This division will bring a trauma-informed, victim-centered response to these cases.” The division includes the Domestic Violence Unit, the Sexually Violent Predator Unit, Special Assault Units that handle sex crimes, prosecutors handling commercial sexual exploitation (trafficking), and Hate Crimes, among other practices.
At today’s press conference, McIngalls was joined by: Senators Manka Dhingra, Nikki Torres, and Jesse Salomon; Representatives Sharlett Mena, Lauren Davis, My-Linh Thai, Debra Lekanoff and Amy Walen; and Emily Stone, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
The full legislative package is below:
- HB 1715: Enacting comprehensive protections for victims of domestic violence and other violence involving family members or intimate partners.
- HB 1562: Reducing the risks of lethality and other harm associated with gun violence, gender-based violence, and other types of violence.
- SB 5231: Concerning the issuance of emergency domestic violence no contact orders.
- SB 5635: Concerning victims’ rights.
- HB 1177 (SB 5137): Creating a missing and murdered indigenous women and people cold case investigations unit.
- SB 5477: Implementing the recommendations of the Washington state missing and murdered indigenous women and people task force.
- SB 5070: Concerning victims of nonfatal strangulation.
- SB 5081: Concerning victim notification.
- HB 1028: Supporting crime victims and witnesses by promoting victim-centered, trauma-informed responses in the legal system.
- HB 1533: Exempting the disclosure of certain information of agency employees or their dependents who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, or stalking.
