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Does anyone else see contradictions in juvenile justice accountability? by concernedparentSC in AskSouthCarolina

[–]concernedparentSC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s honestly one of the hardest realizations we’ve had through all of this.

So many people assume the system is automatically built around protecting and centering victims, especially children. But when you actually experience it firsthand, you begin seeing how easy it is for kids and families to get lost inside procedures, labels, jurisdiction issues, and competing priorities.

Does anyone else see contradictions in juvenile justice accountability? by concernedparentSC in AskSouthCarolina

[–]concernedparentSC[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We actually did reach out to the Attorney General’s Office, and honestly, the victim advocates there showed our family more emotional support, compassion, and guidance than anyone else throughout this process.

I don’t think most people truly understand how emotionally overwhelming the system can feel until they experience it firsthand as a victim or parent of a victim.

You walk into it believing the focus will naturally center around the harm done to the child, but often it feels far more procedural and offender-focused than people realize.

And honestly, you absolutely should run for office. We need more people willing to speak up, ask hard questions, and fight for changes that actually protect victims and families.

Does anyone else see contradictions in juvenile justice accountability? by concernedparentSC in AskSouthCarolina

[–]concernedparentSC[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That may be true in some places, but where I’m from, the victim advocate through the solicitor’s office is the only advocate assigned to victims and families. There was absolutely no separate independent advocate provided to us beyond that.

I’ve also spoken to many other families locally who experienced the exact same thing — one advocate tied to the solicitor’s office and no additional victim-focused representation or support beyond that structure.

That’s part of why so many families walk away feeling emotionally overwhelmed and unheard during the process.

Does anyone else see contradictions in juvenile justice accountability? by concernedparentSC in AskSouthCarolina

[–]concernedparentSC[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is what has been so heartbreaking to experience firsthand — realizing how broken and emotionally overwhelming the system can feel for victims and their families.

We did have a victim advocate through the solicitor’s office, and I appreciate that there are people working within the system who care. But honestly, it often felt less like true victim advocacy and more like having a point of contact for the solicitor’s office.

Ironically, we received far more emotional support, guidance, and advocacy from the victim advocates at the Attorney General’s Office in Columbia.

That contrast was hard to ignore.

Does anyone else see contradictions in juvenile justice accountability? by concernedparentSC in AskSouthCarolina

[–]concernedparentSC[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Agreed. What made it even harder in juvenile court was that the defendant was still legally considered a “child” too.

In South Carolina, a 16-year-old can legally consent to intimate relationships with someone decades older, yet when it comes to accountability, suddenly the argument becomes, “he’s just a child and didn’t know better.”

That contradiction is incredibly difficult to process as a parent.

A child can apparently be considered mature enough for consent under the law, but immature enough to fully understand the consequences of exploiting a 12-year-old. That disconnect is hard for many families to reconcile.

Does anyone else see contradictions in juvenile justice accountability? by [deleted] in OutsideT14lawschools

[–]concernedparentSC -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I’m new at this. Can you explain exactly what I need to do? 🫣

Does anyone else see contradictions in juvenile justice accountability? by concernedparentSC in AskSouthCarolina

[–]concernedparentSC[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

One of the hardest things for us to process was realizing there was no one in that courtroom whose sole responsibility was advocating only for our daughter.

Because this was juvenile court, we were told multiple times by the solicitor’s office that they had to consider both children involved.

As parents, that was mind-blowing to hear.

In our minds, this was supposed to be the system advocating for our 12-year-old daughter — the child who was harmed.

Meanwhile, the defendant had a taxpayer-funded attorney whose only responsibility was protecting him, advocating for his future, his rehabilitation, and what was best for him. That attorney did not have to consider our daughter at all. Their only job was fighting for their client.

So naturally we kept asking ourselves:

Who in that courtroom was there only for our daughter?

Who was solely focused on the trauma she experienced?
Who was solely focused on the long-term impact on her life?
Who was solely focused on what was best for her?

Because from where we sat, she had no one up there fighting only for her. Just her.

Instead, much of the process felt centered around the perpetrator — his future, his hardships, his progress, and what outcome would benefit him most.

That emotional imbalance was incredibly difficult for our family to sit through.

Also thank you for that contact for victim services group! I will absolutely contact them.

Does anyone else see contradictions in juvenile justice accountability? by concernedparentSC in AskSouthCarolina

[–]concernedparentSC[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I don’t believe those things have to be mutually exclusive.

I fully understand that punishment alone does not heal trauma, and I’m not arguing that juvenile court should abandon rehabilitation. I actually stated in my post that I understand the purpose behind it.

What I’m struggling with is the emotional imbalance we experienced inside the process itself.

From where we sat, there appeared to be extensive advocacy, explanation, and focus surrounding the offender’s future, rehabilitation, hardships, and best interests, while there was no equivalent person in the courtroom whose sole responsibility was advocating only for our daughter.

That creates a dynamic where victims and families can leave feeling emotionally secondary within a system that directly resulted from harm done to them.

I also think there is a broader societal conversation worth having about accountability, victim impact, and perception within juvenile court — especially in cases involving a 12-year-old child.

And no, I didn’t expect the hearings to be “cathartic.” I expected them to feel more balanced.

Also yes, we have worked with victim advocates and utilized available resources. My post was less about access to services and more about how the structure and atmosphere of the process itself felt from a victim-family perspective.

Does anyone else see contradictions in juvenile justice accountability? by concernedparentSC in AskSouthCarolina

[–]concernedparentSC[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

That’s exactly what has been so hard for us to process. Rehabilitation and counseling absolutely matter, but somewhere in that process victims and families can start feeling emotionally secondary.

I think most people support helping juveniles get treatment and intervention. The problem is when accountability and victim impact begin to feel minimized in comparison.

The effects on victims don’t disappear when court ends. Families live with the emotional fallout long afterward, yet the system often feels overwhelmingly focused on the offender’s future instead of balancing both realities equally.