Dawn Gilbert, Paul Baker, and Howard Brown, foundation members of VOCAL Inc NSW  were each awarded Life Membership of the organisation for many years of tireless, innovative, and ground-breaking work working for and supporting victims of violent crime. Robyn Cotterell-Jones joined the organisation in 1994 as a volunteer and is now the Executive Director of VOCAL’s Victim Support Unit in Newcastle NSW.

Dawn Gilbert
These days, Dawn is ever-more involved in raising and supporting her family – a family  utterly changed, generationally, forever by the preventable murder of her daughter, Tracey in 1987.

In 2004, Dawn told us ‘The impact of Tracey’s murder gets harder, not easier, as time goes by’. 

This truth led to the development of a wonderful annual event where each year, just before Christmas, people whose lives have been changed by crime and too soon death, meet with others ‘just like them’.  During a lovely ceremony, we honour and remember our loved ones and lives changed by placing a personal angel ornament on the VOCAL tree.  Together, the community of people who ‘know’ build the VOCAL Christmas Tree of Angels – people say it makes Christmas easier to bear.

Paul Baker
Paul, was a serving police officer who well understood that victims of crime were really overlooked in the policing and criminal justice systems.  He was a member from the first day people met to start a support group for homicide victims, until his untimely death, from cancer, on 17th July 2007.

Paul managed to bring balance between the demands of victims and the obligations of policing to the VOCAL Committee, and was like a rock of support to the Victim Support Unit of VOCAL.

He rose to the position of Chief Inspector of the NSW Police Service, was well-respected for his work with the police union, and also held executive positions of Chairman, Vice Chair, President, Vice President of  the VOCAL Inc Committee.

His are big shoes to fill – but there’s always a place for another police officer who understands the plight of victims of crime and their families on the Committee.

Rest in Peace Paul.

Howard Brown
Howard is Vice President of the VOCAL Inc Committee, and also a past Chairman and President. Howard was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2004 for his service to the community via VOCAL.

Until 2007 he worked entirely as an unpaid volunteer and tirelessly and professionally represented VOCAL, serving on boards and committees among many who were well-paid for their services.  He became a force to be reckoned with, respected and committed to victims’ issues and as a representative of the complex and broad victim community.

Howard’s university education was in law, but his life experience as a secondary victim in a homicide matter showed him the gaps in morality, ethics, and practice of the criminal legal process. It showed him how ignorant (normal) he had been about what is was like to be a victim of crime, and how limited services and resources were for people like him.

It also told him of how poorly he was being trained to practice law.

Today, the Headquarters of VOCAL is located in Newcastle, Howard is a lone worker – located in Sydney.  (He needs a team). 

While he now receives a small wage to assist him with his work in this complex field, his workload is immense.  He continues to assist victims of crime, including many whose primary care falls to crime specific groups, to prepare for the less common and more complex issues like Mental Health hearings (where the perpetrator is held under Mental Health legislation rather than jail because of mental unfitness at the time of the trial), and  submissions to Parole authorities, representing victims at these hearings. 

Howard continues to serve on many Government committees and Boards – such as the Victims Advisory Board, Sentencing Council, Court Security, and of course provides support and practical guidance to victims of crime as best he can.  He regularly assists other agencies when they need help on more complex cases – (any crime, any stage) and is always available to assist the Government or the Opposition to think carefully about proposals that impact on victims of crime.

Howard is an inspirational speaker – any issue to do with victims of crime – any crime, any stage.   He also tells great (often corny) jokes.  Need a speaker?  Email ceo@vocal.org.au

Prevention of crime is a VOCAL focus, and Howard speaks very effectively at Traffic Offender programs in Sydney.  He is available to assist in training staff and volunteers in other agencies about any aspect of caring for and empowering victims of crime.

When asked ‘why VOCAL?’ he says, ‘Because once ‘you know’ what it’s really like to be a victim of violent crime, you have a choice – roll over, or get up and fight.  If you can’t fight for yourself, fight for the next victim’s rights.  I wish someone had been there for me, to tell me the truth, to give me dignity and respect and a fair go when I needed it! 

If people who can, don’t, then the bad guys win!’ And the bad guys are winning!’

If you can help VOCAL’s work  in any way, or you need a speaker  please contact  ceo@vocal.org.au

Robyn Cotterell-Jones
Robyn Cotterell-Jones came to the organisation in 1994 utterly disgusted with the criminal legal system’s handling of her case. A former senior public servant with experience of law and service, then a business owner, she was seriously injured in a violent crime that absolutely changed her life in every possible way.

The violent crime against Robyn happened on the sixth anniversary of her friend, Carolyn O’Brien’s  horrific murder on Sunday, Father’s Day 6th September 1986, at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, a place they had both worked.  Carolyn was murdered by the security guard on duty that day.

In reflection, Robyn knows that what she learned through Carolyn’s death is ‘the knowing’ some of what it is like when a murder happens to others, but absolutely respects the fact Carolyn was a friend – not a close relative – and that was ‘more than bad enough’.

Deeply affected by Carolyn’s gruesome death, Robyn’s grief was made even worse because she blamed herself.  She felt absolute responsibility for Carolyn’s ever having been in that place, on that day.  Of course Robyn had nothing at all to do with the acts of horrendous violence suffered by Carolyn, but her sense of guilt and ‘if only’ haunted her for years.   Little did she know that she was herself on already walking on a new life path.

When Robyn was seriously assaulted, she cooperated with ‘The System’ as required.  She wryly observes that she encountered a very complex, unlinked, uncoordinated process which was nothing at all like what she thought ‘justice’ was all about. It was like a sick game where she was the only one who didn’t know how to play. She reckons if you called this game ‘Chess’ she’d have been the board!

Life afterwards was complex. 

Later, Robyn sought sensible answers from important people – naively still never even suspecting that her case was not just a ‘one off’ glitch with lessons to be learned by the people in power so the next innocent victim would saved the abusive ordeal she’d had.

She soon discovered the concept of justice and a fair go for victims of crime did not exist and was not very important at all. No one was responsible – no one cared enough to listen.

Former positive public servant Robyn shakes her head in disbelief – buck passing, no apology, no strategy, no action, no changes, no timely interventions, and more than nineteen years later women who are badly injured but survive Domestic Violence are still too often being treated just as badly as she was. She particularly likes to assist them.
 
Robyn joined VOCAL, worked for years as a volunteer, and eventually took over from Dawn Gilbert as ‘the voice on the phone’ giving victims support and care. Robyn’s government trained advocacy skills and her own experience, make a sound base for her advocacy work.

In 2005 Robyn was awarded the ‘Lifeline – Newcastle Permanent Steel Magnolia Award’ ‘for a woman of courage who overcame serious challenges and helps others to do the same’.  At the award ceremony   she quipped, ‘I’d like to thank that judge on the appeal in my matter for his abusive behaviour because without it I would never have known this work needed doing! He taught me that position and power doesn’t mean right and decent, and made it inevitable that I’d stand up for what’s right!’

In  2007 she  was nominated for the prestigious Law and Justice Foundation’s  ‘Justice Award’.

Robyn is the Executive Director of The Victim Support Unit at VOCAL, still works many hours of unpaid work, as does the rest of the fantastic team at VOCAL. 

She reckons the pathway Victim-survivor-thriver-inspirer is the only way to go!