The Hall County Solicitor's Office and Hall County District Attorney's Office hosted a National Crime Victims' Rights Week kick-off event today at the Hall County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters.
Victims’ Rights Week, April 2-8, raises awareness about crime victims' issues and rights and introduces the community to the important resources and services available to victims of crime.
“Our community continues to be dedicated to those who have been injured, to those who have been wounded through no fault of their own,” said Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard. “This amazing community continues to step forward, to love, to honor, to help assist to wholeness those that are injured by crime.”
Throughout the month of April, Hall County will honor and recognize the local nonprofit organizations who serve crime victims in the community.
"The men and women who serve these individuals are champions of victims' rights. While we wish these crimes were never committed to begin with, we are nevertheless fortunate to have so many resources available to victims of crime in Hall County," said Hall County District Attorney Lee Darragh.
Last year, over 5 million individuals were a victim of a crime, and there were nearly 15 million property victimizations, according to the 2015 National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
The Office for Victims of Crime of the U.S. Department of Justice leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims' Rights Week by promoting victims' rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf.
“We want our victims to know that we do not define them as victims,” Woodard said. “We see their grace, we see their strength, we see their incredible bravery standing up under circumstances that those of us who help them couldn’t ourselves.”
