For victims, reporting a crime to police is just the start of what can be a long and complex journey through the court system, from interviews and paperwork to charges and sometimes a trial.
Victim advocates are tasked with ensuring survivors don’t navigate that process alone.
In Wasatch County, advocates supported more than 500 crime victims from July 2025 through June 2026. Over 300 were survivors of domestic violence.
Advocate Kristin Guthrie said her office assists victims throughout their court cases, connects them with counseling and other resources, and helps them apply for financial restitution.
“We help with all of that to make sure that we try to minimize the financial burden of the victimization itself,” she said. “I don’t think victims should have that on top of the victimization and the trauma.”
Guthrie told the Wasatch County Council Wednesday, June 17, the office recently hired a second, part-time victim advocate, Liz Cummings.
“She’s Spanish speaking, and I can’t tell you how thrilled we are to have a Spanish-speaking victim advocate on board,” she said.
Advocates accompany their clients to court or share updates from hearings if victims prefer.
“They don’t always want to go to court, because it’s scary, quite frankly,” she said. “They don’t want to see that person, and so we’re there to provide that buffer between them and the criminal justice system.”
In addition to helping domestic violence survivors, advocates also support victims of child abuse, physical or sexual assault, stalking, homicide and more.
As for perpetrators, Utah law requires counties to create plans to reduce the odds they’ll reoffend.
County Manager Dustin Grabau said local leaders, law enforcement and mental health experts take a “holistic approach” to provide treatment and education.
“We do programs in the jail: treatment programs, work release programs and other things to try and make sure that we are doing the most we can to reduce recidivism and to address our issues in the county,” he said on KPCW’s “Local News Hour” June 16.
To find resources for victims of crime in Wasatch County, visit the Victim Assistance Program website.
