Victim Impact Statement
We are here before you today because we believe that every person should take responsibility and be held accountable for their actions.
We do not believe that Robbie Gillespie feels any remorse for Evelyn’s loss. The remorse he feels is for his own loss, the loss of his family, his job, and his dignity. He did not ruin one family; he ruined two. He has caused irreparable harm to his wife and kids. Like many addicts and alcoholics, he has manipulated his wife into supporting and enabling his behavior and addiction.
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For his children, innocence robbed from them too, we hope that they can find the courage and the resources to seek appropriate counseling to help them get through this tragedy. Like the rest of us, they never asked for this. After all, you cannot pick your parents.
Being the adult survivor of a father who was an alcoholic, I watched my mother and grandmother do the same thing that Robbie’s wife is doing for him by standing beside her husband. I do not begrudge her that. But I hope that at some point she realizes that being in a relationship with a drug dealer and drug addict is not healthy and I hope she explores groups like Alanon to help her cope with these issues.
I do not have faith that Gillespie will change. I have had too many drug addicts and alcoholics in my life who pledged to change, but never did. I do hope that he gets the help he needs to beat his addiction and to atone for his actions.