In his 20 years as a law enforcement officer, Alexandria police Chief Donald Sullivan said he had never been so saddened and angered by the judicial process than on July 9. That day, nearly two dozen educators, school counselors and psychologists stood up for a child sex offender with the teenage victim seated feet away in a Rockingham County courtroom.
The sentencing of former school counselor Kristie Torbick made Sullivan furious as he thought about the sexual assault victims who might be silenced in the aftermath of the courtroom display.

“As professionals, we should be tearing down barriers, not putting them up,” Sullivan told the Monitor. “I’m now trying to combat the message victims are receiving. They need to know we are here, resources are available to you and we support you.”
Sullivan said he couldn’t stand by and do nothing on the heels of Torbick’s sentencing last month. Instead, he reached out to his community’s local crisis center, Voices Against Violence, and Danbury police to organize a community discussion about victim support services and ongoing prevention education work in local schools, which are part of the Newfound School District that previously employed Torbick.

His goal for Thursday night’s forum: “to restore faith in the system.”

“Sexual harassment at the New Hampshire State House is an ongoing problem, and we applaud those who bring this issue to light by reporting unacceptable behavior,” said Amanda Grady Sexton, director of public affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.
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“We urge the leadership to continue to work to ensure that victims of harassment feel encouraged to come forward, that those who witness harassment intervene, and that there is accountability for those who create an unsafe work environment in the State House.”

The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence called on the media not to name the victim, “to ensure her right to privacy and safety.”

“All victims of domestic violence face barriers when deciding whether to come forward and report their abuse. When the abuser is someone in the public eye, victims face additional public scrutiny, which often keeps them from speaking out,” said coalition executive director Lyn Schollet.
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“These charges are serious. New Hampshire communities expect elected officials to uphold the laws they pass. We stand by this victim and all survivors in accessing resources and support and seeking justice,” Schollet said.

Responding to the records, Amanda Grady Sexton, public affairs director for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, which advocates for harassment and abuse victims, praised “those who bring this issue to light by reporting unacceptable behavior.”
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But, she added: “We urge Leadership to continue to work to ensure that victims of harassment feel encouraged to come forward, that those who witness harassment intervene, and that there is accountability for those who create an unsafe work environment in the State House.”

He said the Alexandria forum is aimed at reassuring people that there are “true professionals out there who will treat victims with respect and support them.”

He said Voices Against Violence, a crisis services agency in Plymouth, was “more than happy” to join with the Alexandria Police Department in holding the forum and let residents know what resources are available to parents and victims of sexual assault, as well as “to see how we would respond to reported sexual assault or violence that happens in the area.”

The New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence also is supporting the forum, which will begin at 6 p.m. on Aug. 9.
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Sullivan also urged those with concerns about their children’s safety at school to write to the superintendent, “so they have that to use in their decision-making on that personnel matter.”