Justice Department and Vermont U.S. Attorney’s Office Observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week with Events Throughout the Country

This week, April 7-13, 2019, the United States Attorney’s Office joins the rest of the Department of Justice in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 7-13, 2019.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office will participate in an annual event that celebrates and supports crime victims. 

“Victims of crime deserve justice. This Department works every day to help them recover and to find, prosecute, and convict those who have done them harm,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “During this National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we pause to remember the millions of Americans who have been victims of crime and we thank public servants who have served them in especially heroic ways. This week the men and women of the Department recommit ourselves once again to ensuring that crime victims continue to have a voice in our legal system, to securing justice for them, and to preventing other Americans from suffering what they have endured.”
 
United States Attorney Christina E. Nolan stated:  “The pursuit of justice for victims and their families is a central component of our mission.  Those who have suffered senselessly at the hands of criminals – whether from violence, drug trafficking, financial crime, child exploitation, or other crime – will always have tireless advocates at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Working with our brave law enforcement officers, we will strive to ensure victims’ rights are protected and that they receive appropriate compensation and recovery services.  We will also continue to collaborate with community partners to assist crime survivors and make Vermont safer through prevention initiatives.” 

Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorneys’ offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf.  In addition, the Justice Department and U.S. Attorneys’ offices organize events to honor the victims and advocates, as well as bring awareness to services available to victims of crime.  In Vermont, this year’s observance takes place April 7-13, with the theme: Honoring Our Past. Creating Hope for the Future.

This year’s event in Vermont took place at the Capitol Plaza in Montpelier, Vermont on April 8. The day included a workshop in the morning presented by master storyteller Sue Schmidt. An awards ceremony followed in the afternoon to honor victim advocates and allied professionals from across Vermont who serve victims of crime.

The U.S. Department of Justice will host the Office for Victims of Crime’s annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 12, 2019, to honor outstanding individuals and programs that serve victims of crime.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

The Office of Justice Programs provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/. You may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Vermont- Victim Witness Program at (802) 951-6725.