The King County Sexual Assualt Resource Center (KCSARC) is a vital resource for victims of sexual assualt to receive necessary resources and care after a sexual assualt crime has occured. KCSARC provides a wraparound service for all victims who reach out for services and support.

KCSARC is a connective service that aligns victims to resources for their next steps such as a legal advocate or medical services. Whether the victim needs mental health support, medical care, or legal advocacy, the staff at KCSARC are with the victim and their families every step of the way.

From the moment an individual reaches out for help, they are assigned a Client Care Specialist who can direct them to resources for their specific areas of need. The Client Care Specialist works with assigning clients with legal advocates, direct support, advocacy, resources, and care to survivors. From there, a victim will likely be assigned an advocate to help them decide how to move forward.

“An advocate is there to help [with] decisions at the very beginning, even to decide if someone wants to report [a crime]. And if they do want to report, they’ll go with them, they’ll be with them through that process, they’ll help make phone calls to the right police department to make that report. They’ll be with them at an interview with a detective and answer questions along the way,” says Laura Lurry, the Director of Advocacy Services at KCSARC.

Victim legal advocates assist the victim in advocating for their best interest and providing viable options while transparently explaining the possible risks and processes of the court system. They offer support and help clients navigate resources while working with victims and their families to create the best, and least traumatic, outcome possible.

“The most important thing [for us] is to be sure that a victim of sexual assault has a voice,” said Lurry. “To be able to talk about what happened to them, and feel and be believed and be supported. And to know that they didn’t do anything wrong, and [that] they have someone to walk with them through that complicated court system.”

From 2015-2018, sexual assault cases moved slowly through the system to reach disposition, according to this audit by the King County Auditor’s Office. The audit showed that 57% of cases resulting in a conviction took more than one year from initial report to conviction.

With the pandemic adding a backlog on the court system to reach a disposition, staff of KCSARC have to work with victims longer, which can be detrimental to their healing and safety.

With cases staying open longer, the caseload continues to rise for staff receiving more requests for services and fewer closed cases.

“Often times a client might feel pretty stuck during this time, and maybe feel like they can’t move forward in their lives. And, and so they have the advocate, that’s at least supporting them and waiting with them, so they might be waiting, but they’re not alone. You know, they have someone that can wait with them and figure it out, as we figure out what’s going on in the prosecutor’s office as we figure out what’s going on, you know, with detectives and, and what’s happening [with their case],” said Lurry.

The KSARC has taken a community focused approach to supporting victims through the court system. Working the King County Sheriff’s and Prosecuting Attorney’s offices, as well as all police departments, hospitals, and child protective service agencies. To accommodate the high demand for services, KCSARC has hired another legal advocate staff member.

Larraine Lynch is the Chief Program Officer and is responsible for oversight, program planning for all client service programs at KCSARC.

“We stand with survivors during that entire [court waiting] time and are available to answer their questions, provide updates, and provide that support. So, that length of time has grown, and [during] that length of time, we’re supporting victims, you know, has grown” said Lynch. “We need to we need to figure out how we’re going to touch up from the backlog and improve things going forward for survivors. So, you know, part of our work is supporting survivor, part of our work is advocacy, persistence, change.”

Learn more

KCSARC will see clients by appointment in their offices in Renton, Federal Way, Redmond and Seattle. Free and confidential support and information is available 24 hours a day at King County Sexual Assault Resource Center. Call 888-998-6423.