VOICE - VOICE OF INNOCENT CITIZENS EMPOWERED

My name is Catalene B. Theriot and my only child, Carl “Dean” Theriot, Jr., was brutally murdered on April 20, 1994. That day I thought my life was over and it is an experience no one should have to go through. After weeks and months everyone thought I should be back to “normal”, but what they didn’t know was that life would never be normal again.

I got very interested in the justice system wanting to know how it could work and sometimes how it did not. I now listened to the news and every crime was important to me, but when I heard of a murder it really hit home. I would oftern call or visit the victim’s family.

I decided with other families of victims there was a need for us to unite as one. Therefore, on June 20, 2002, VOICE was formed (Voices Of Innocent Citizens Empowered). We wanted to make sure victims of crime and their families had a place and someone to be there for them.

VOICE is a unique group, but it is a club no one should have to belong to because of the circumstance that brings you to that point. Unfortunately, we are always having new members to join and more will come in the future. We give freedom to victims and families to speak comfortably with others who do not sympathize but empathize with the speaker. If you have not walked in our shoes, you really do not understand the bond we share with one another; we are like one big family. We can use each other for a sounding board if needed, and let our anger and frustration out.

A few facts we have learned through our process: (a) There is no such thing as closure, it is just a word; we wish the media would understand that. (b) People do not want to bring up our loved one’s name, they think it will hurt us, but please do. We want to talk about the loved one we lost; we don’t want them to be forgotten.

VOICE meets every third Wednesday of the month on the second floor of the Iberia parish courthouse from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Anyone interested in attending can contact Catalene B. Theriot, President at 337-577-5088 or 337-369-5279. E-mail ctheriot@16jda.com. We have a guest speaker every other month, in December we have Christmas gathering and each year during National Crime Victims' Rights week we have a rally.

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