national crime victims week

This is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week -- a time to honor victims and the advocates of victims’ rights.

Victim-serving agencies in Genesee County will be commemorating National
Crime Victims Rights Week with a variety of activities, some of which are listed below.

This year’s theme — Reshaping the Future, Honoring the Past — evokes victims’ past struggles and our nation’s duty to help them rebuild stronger lives. For victims, reshaping the future means confronting many challenges. After a crime, victims need to know what rights and resources they can count on.

They may need funds to bury a loved one or pay medical bills. They may want
information on the criminal justice process, their rights to be present or heard in court, and to be notified about court proceedings and offenders’ whereabouts.

Yet many victims do not find the help they need. For victim advocates, reshaping the future — particularly in these financially stressed times — means finding ways to do more with less. It means locating resources for victims who want them and helping new victims — such as the millions harmed by financial fraud — to restore their credit and financial security.

Reshaping the future requires meeting present and emerging challenges. Honoring the past means recalling a time, not too many years ago, when victims had no voice in the criminal justice system — when murder victims’ families were excluded from courtrooms and assault victims paid all their own medical bills.

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week honors the victims and advocates who confronted such injustices and helped produce a nationwide system of victim
compensation and victims’ rights. It also reminds us that failures to enforce these laws or to fund programs for victims, jeopardize the success of these reforms.

“'Reshaping the Future, Honoring the Past' captures the spirit and mission of
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week,” said Joye E. Frost, acting director
of the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S.
Department of Justice.

“The past that we honor points to a future when all victims are respected, the laws to protect them are enforced, and the resources they need are in place and accessible to them. Justice demands no less.”

In Batavia, these are some of the events planned in conjunction with National Crime Victims' Week:

• From 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, there will be an Open House at the Justice for Children Advocacy Center, 108 Bank St. in Batavia. Call Colleen at 344-0516 for more information.
• Also, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, there will be a Darkness to Light Child Sexual Abuse Prevention program offered at the YWCA, located 301 North St., Batavia. Call Theresa at 344-0516, ext. 111, for more information and to register, or visit www.d2l.org. for more information.
• Thursday, April 14, is Criminal Justice Day. From 8:30 to 12:30 p.m. that day a session called on “Restorative Justice: Impact on the Community” will be offered at Genesee Community College. Contact the Mental Health Association of Genesee County at 344-2611 for more information or to register.
• And beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, April 15, there will be a ceremony, reception and silent walk in Batavia City Council Chambers, 2nd floor, Batavia City Center. This event will be a celebration of the courage and perseverance of survivors of crime and their advocates. Call Theresa at 344-0516, ext. 111, for more information.