April 14, 2008
Washington, D.C. -- Congressman Steve Chabot (R-Cincinnati) released the following statement today in honor of the 28th annual observance of National Crime Victims Rights Week:
“National Crime Victims Week serves as a time to remind us of the suffering many victims and their families have endured and the need to include them in the criminal justice system. It also provides us with an opportunity to thank those individuals and organizations who have selflessly dedicated themselves to assisting victims, while highlighting the need to advance the cause of victims of crime.
“Too often, victims of crime are made to be victims a second time as a result of our criminal justice system - the very system designed to protect them. I believe more must be done to help victims and their families; and I urge Congress to pass legislation this week to better protect the rights of crime victims.”
Each year in April, the Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime hosts commemorative events to honor crime victims and promote their rights. For a schedule of these events, please visit the Office for Victims of Crime website at:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/ncvrw/welcome.html#events
Congressman Chabot has been a leading advocate in Congress for crime victims and their families. He was the author and principle sponsor of the Crime Victims Rights Act that for the first time provided enforceable procedural rights for crime victims in federal court. Chabot has also worked to pass legislation that would help identify victims of crime by authorizing grants to states for the DNA testing of all unidentified human remains.
Parents of Murdered Children, Inc. recently awarded Congressman Chabot with the “Empty Shoe Award” for his longstanding work in the House of Representatives on behalf of victims of crime and his efforts to help pass a House Resolution declaring September 25th as a National Day of Remembrance of Murder Victims.
