The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana joins the nation in commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
It was President Ronald Reagan who established the week, back in 1981, to honors victims of crime, recognizes victim advocates, and promotes the rights and services available to victims.
In 2022, there were nearly 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6-and-a-half million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. But of those millions, only about 42% were actually reported to police.
This year’s theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.”
On the evening of Wednesday, April 24th, a candlelight vigil will be held on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol from 7:00pm-8:00pm EST. In recognition of this year’s theme, the vigil is an opportunity to engage and empower community members to offer support to all types of victims and survivors.
For additional information on the candlelight vigil as well as other events, please visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/events.
Locally, check city/county websites for any events planned in the area.
For additional information about this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and how to assist victims in your community, please visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov.
