United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee Observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

Memphis, TN – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and the Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime (“OVC”) joins communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 6-12, 2025, and in celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s theme, “Kinship - Connecting & Healing,” is a call to action to recognize that shared humanity should be at the center of supporting all survivors and victims of crime. KINSHIP is a state of being with survivors that drives vital connections to services, rights, and healing. KINSHIP is where victim advocacy begins.

Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2023, there were approximately 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.4 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.4 million, only about 45% were reported to police.

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

Here, in the Western District of Tennessee, we have a dedicated Victim Witness Coordinator who supports federal crime victims by providing victims with essential services, including referrals to counseling, securing temporary housing, assisting with access to victim’s compensation funds, and accompanying victims to court proceedings to provide support and guidance. These services provide victims with tools to reshape their futures.

The U.S. Department of Justice 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 the United States and by 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 partnerships with these officers.

Further National Crime Victims’ Rights Week resources can be found at https://ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2025/overview.

###

For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.