National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Iowa 2015

Grimy Times

Crime victims and their families are calling for justice, and this week, the nation is coming together to honor their courage and resilience. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, held from April 19-25, is a time to promote victims’ rights and highlight the efforts of those who advocate on their behalf.

This year’s theme, ‘Engaging Communities. Empowering Victims,’ emphasizes the importance of community engagement and victim empowerment. According to U.S. Attorney Kevin Techau, ‘Ensuring victims are afforded their statutory rights is a top priority for my office and the Department of Justice.’ Techau has partnered with several local organizations, including the 6th Judicial Department of Correctional Services, Horizons-A Family Service Alliance, St. Luke’s Child Protection Center, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Deaf Iowans Against Abuse, and Linn County Attorney’s Office, to host events in the Cedar Rapids area.

On Sunday, April 19, the Opening Ceremony will be held at the 6th Judicial Department of Correctional Services, 951 29th Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids, starting at 1 p.m. The Jennifer Clinton Award will be presented to a deserving Cedar Rapids Police officer, and the Clothes Line Project from Deaf Iowans Against Abuse will be on display. The public is invited to attend.

Deaf Iowans Against Abuse will be hosting an informal gathering with the Cedar Rapids Police Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office with the deaf and hard of hearing communities on Wednesday, April 22, at the office of Deaf Iowans Against Abuse, 1652 42nd St. NE, Suite D, Cedar Rapids, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. During this event, the Clothesline Project will also be on display. The public is welcome.

The week’s events will end with a Candlelight Vigil on Friday, April 24 at 7 p.m. The vigil will be held at Horizons-A Family Service Alliance, 819 5th St SE. The public is invited to attend.

NCVRW honors and celebrates the achievements of the past thirty years in securing rights, protections, and services for victims. The bipartisan Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), passed by Congress in 1984, created a national fund to ease victims’ suffering. Financed by fines and penalties paid by offenders, the Crime Victims Fund supports victim assistance and services, such as rape crisis and domestic violence programs and victim compensation programs that pay victims’ out-of-pocket expenses such as counseling, funeral expenses, and lost wages.

For additional information about the 2015 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and how to assist victims in your community, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Iowa at 319-363-6333 or visit www.justice.gov/usao-ndia. For additional ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit the Office for Victims of Crime website, www.ovc.gov.