Strengthen the Spirit of Virginia
Strengthen the Spirit of Virginia
By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:
Crime Victims' Rights Week
WHEREAS, victims of crime deserve understanding, compassion, and respect when engaging with service providers and the criminal justice system; and,
WHEREAS, recognizing that trauma from violent crime is an epidemic and that, for this reason, it is essential to take a public health approach that encourages collective action from the entire community; and,
WHEREAS, victims of crime are often underserved or unserved due to language barriers, economic limitations, disabilities, or location, and face numerous barriers to accessing supportive and accommodating services; and,
WHEREAS, victims with disabilities should be treated with dignity and respect and have access to inclusive community resources; and,
WHEREAS, all victims of crime should have access to services that are culturally-competent and meaningfully address their diverse needs; and,
WHEREAS, the victim’s trust in the compassion, understanding, and support of their communities is achieved through sustained, deep-rooted, and coordinated efforts to bring healing and justice to all victims of crime—especially those who traditionally have been underrepresented and underserved; and,
WHEREAS, victim advocates do lifesaving work that impacts the wellbeing of victims of crime, and should be valued for their dedicated service; and,
WHEREAS, crime victims, prior to sentencing of an offender, may have the right to make the courts aware of the impact of a crime through the Victim Impact Statement; and,
WHEREAS, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services provides financial support, training, and technical assistance to a multitude of victim service providers across the Commonwealth, in an effort to ensure that all victims be supported;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize April 24–30, 2022 as CRIME VICTIMS’ RIGHTS WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.
