T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Outgoing Victim Witness Coordinator Edie Rierson, left, and Marshall County Attorney Jordan Gaffney, right, recently received a $750 grant from the Rotary Club of Marshalltown to create a child friendly space inside the Marshall County Attorney’s Office.

Children compelled to testify in criminal cases related to abuse and/or neglect are often forced to relive and relitigate some of the worst moments of their lives, and Marshall County Attorney Jordan Gaffney and soon-to-be retired Victim Witness Coordinator Edie Rierson are well aware of the toll it can take on them.

Because of this reality, Rierson has led the charge to create a child-friendly space inside the attorney’s office, and the Rotary Club of Marshalltown recently donated to the cause with a $750 contribution.

“It’s terribly important. It makes it 99 percent easier on the kids to be in a place that’s colorful, welcoming, (with) soft things, things for them to do,” Rierson said. “They don’t want to be there in the first place. We’re making them relive a trauma in their life. I said this morning (that) if we impact one child, it will be worth it.”

With the money, Rierson plans to purchase a variety of games and activities that kids can complete while they’re in the office, including colorful banners to mark the area, bean bag chairs, soft fleece throw blankets, books ranging from those aimed toddlers to young adults, coloring books, crayons, colored pencils, fidget spinners and possibly even a television with a VCR to watch movies and shows.

Gaffney also commented on what a positive impact he feels the contribution will make.

“It’s a huge difference maker. It’s difficult to imagine, but imagine being a child, 8, 9, 10 (years old), coming into an office like this after being in a situation where you’ve been a child that’s been physically abused, a drug endangered child, sexually abused or just neglected. Law enforcement’s been involved. There’s just so much disruption in their lives before they even get to the point where they’re gonna talk to us,” he said. “Everything is disjointed. When they come in with parents or guardians, the parents or guardians are nervous too because this is a new experience too, and it’s challenging for them as well. And the children, they know that, and they feel that as well.”

The goal, he added, is to create a space where kids can be kids and be as comfortable as possible in an inherently uncomfortable situation.

“It’s a huge deal for us. We’re so thankful for Edie, and we have a ton of gratitude to Rotary for making this grant for us. And we’re just super excited to put it to work,” Gaffney said. “To see children come in and use the space and be comfortable in the space, it’s going to be big for us because we carry these cases in our hearts. As much as you try to leave it at the office, cases with kids will stick with you because they’re important and they’re difficult, and it’s just really hard to see children victimized.”

Both Gaffney and Rierson recalled a case where a child came into the office to testify and eventually ended up hiding under a table and felt that a space like the one they plan to create could have made the child feel much more comfortable. And as Rierson prepares to move back to her native Kansas City with her husband David, the soon-to-be officially retired Marshalltown fire chief, she hopes this project will continue to make a positive impact long after she’s gone.

“Nobody deserves what they get in a domestic violence, domestic abuse situation — nobody, no matter if you’re a baby or 89 years old,” she said. “It’s particularly hard on a child, for me, to process that. They did nothing to bring that on themselves. They don’t know why it happened. They can’t understand why it happened. Someone they thought they loved and loved them has harmed them. And I just them to know that they’re loved when they come into a space like that.”

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Contact Robert Maharry at (641) 753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.