Brevard, Seminole State Attorney starts new special victim's unit to support most vulnerable crime survivors

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A prosecutor in Brevard and Seminole Counties is now starting a program for crime survivors after his own brush with death. 

What we know:

William Scheiner, who currently works as a state attorney for the 18th Judicial Circuit in Brevard and Seminole Counties, is starting a new victim advocate program to help survivors. 

The Special Victims Units (SVU's) in Brevard and Seminole Counties were created to better support vulnerable crime victims while pursuing justice for them in court.

The teams will be made up of veteran prosecutors and victim advocates who specialize in cases involving sexual abuse, domestic violence and child abuse. The SVU’s goal is to improve outcomes in court by building expert criminal cases while minimizing stress on victims.

"I’ve taken existing funds and resources, and I’ve combined them into one unit, so there’s a collaboration because there are a lot of similarities between a domestic violence relationship and a child abuse relationship or a sex crime type case," Scheiner said. 

Victims of crime will be paired with advocates who can connect them to resources to stop the cycle of abuse, understand the complex criminal justice system and get them into counseling to help them process their trauma, Scheiner told FOX 35's Esther Bower. 

Scheiner re-allocated resources to create the new units and is reiterating to his team about how everything they do should be victim focused.

Crime Survivor Turned Prosecutor

This program now comes to fruition after Scheiner survived a violent incident while he was in college. 

He worked at a restaurant and was kidnapped, shot twice and robbed while leaving the restaurant one night. Becoming a victim thrust him into a new world that changed the trajectory of his life. He switched majors and became a prosecutor.

"Somebody essentially threatened to kill me, pulled a gun on me, held me at gunpoint and kidnapped me," he said.

Years later, he now leads the office that helped him decades ago. He remembers how he was supported and the guidance he received from everyone at the State Attorney’s Office.

"They navigated me through the whole criminal justice system. They answered my questions, made me feel heard. They made me feel safe and secure in those situations. They referred me to counseling and different availability services that were here," Scheiner said. 

He says his firsthand experience with crime still shapes how he prosecutes and how he leads. He wants the new units to help provide comfort, safety and a commitment to justice for the most vulnerable victims in the community.