U.S. Attorney's Office Observes National Crime Victims' Rights Week

Memphis, TN - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee joins the Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Executive Office for the United States Attorneys (EOUSA) in observing National Crime Victims' Rights Week. This year's theme is "Listen. Act. Advocate. Protecting victims, serve communities."

There were 6.7 million violent victimizations of persons age 12 or older in the United States in 2024, according to a Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) reportLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.. Violent victimization includes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault.

According to EOUSA, in fiscal year 2025 across the country, USAO victim witness professionals contacted victims more than 513,000 times regarding services and court updates; asset forfeiture personnel contributed to almost $331 million in forfeited funds being granted to victims via remission or restoration; and Financial Litigation Programs collected over $1 billion in restitution from criminal defendants for the benefit of victims.

Our U.S. Attorney's Office has experienced victim witness professionals who listen to victims share their stories and answer their questions; the financial litigation and asset forfeiture teams act diligently to maximize asset recovery on behalf of victims; and every day, Assistant U.S. Attorneys appear in court to advocate for the rights of victims under the Crime Victims' Rights Act (CVRA) and take steps to protect them.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Victims of crime deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, compassion, and sensitivity in the criminal justice system. At the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee, we are committed to providing victims with the highest level of support, protection, and assistance during the often difficult and confusing legal court process. Achieving justice for victims and protecting their rights is our highest duty and we are honored to participate in the National observance of this special week to honor victims and victim advocates."

For additional information regarding National Crime Victims' Rights Week and resources for victims, please visit https://ovc.ojp.gov/.

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