Saratoga County-based organization helping abuse victims with healing

The district attorney’s decision not to prosecute the case against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo reaches well beyond an Albany courtroom.

Victims of sexual harassment and workplace violence often pay close attention to high profile cases like Cuomo’s.

Victims of sexual assault or workplace violence can be disappointed when charges against a powerful person like a governor are dropped, but those who help the abused say the criminal justice system isn’t the only place healing takes place.

Maggie Fronk is the executive director of Wellspring, a Saratoga County-based organization that supports survivors of relationship and sexual abuse. She says they often counsel victims about how the criminal justice system works, preparing them for the possible outcomes.

Fronk says victims have been paying attention to the Cuomo case either because they drew comparisons to what they suffered, or they simply couldn’t escape it.

"They might feel validated to know that other people have also experienced the same issues. They might feel overwhelmed because every time they turn on the news, they listen to the radio, they open the paper in the morning, they see something, and it brings back the strong emotions of the place they might’ve been months, weeks, years ago," said Fronk.

Fronk says part of the job of an advocate is to inform a victim of their options and manage their expectations. She says Wellspring and agencies like them are eager to help.