Annual “Crime Victims’ Rights Week” events to be held on Sunday, April 2nd and Monday, April 3rd

Press Contact:
Madison Lightfoot
​248-342-0361

March 31, 2017

Concord, NH – Crime Victims’ Rights Day events are held annually to honor all victims of crime in New Hampshire. It serves as a memorial and also a reminder that all victims of crime deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. This celebration is sponsored by the N.H. Attorney General’s Office, the United States Attorney's Office - NH District, the AmeriCorps Victim Assistance Program, the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and Victims, Inc.
Media are invited to attend all events including the memorial service. The press conference will be heavily attended by victims and their family members, as well as members of law enforcement and the victim advocacy community.
Schedule of Events:
 
Sunday, April 2nd
 
Memorial Service at St. Paul’s Church, St. Paul's Church, 21 Centre St, Concord, NH, 03301, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – To pay tribute to all victims of crime. A reception featuring Victim’s Inc. quilts will immediately follow the service.
 
Monday, April 3rd
 
Press Conference and Award Presentation at St. Paul’s Church, St. Paul's Church, 21 Centre St, Concord, NH, 03301, at 10 a.m. – Governor Sununu has been invited to speak, along with Deputy Attorney General Ann Rice, Acting United States Attorney for
the District of New Hampshire John Farley, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence Lyn Schollett, Pat Rainboth of Victims, Inc., and representatives from the New Hampshire AmeriCorps Victim Assistance Program. The press conference will include a tribute to an individual who has gone above and beyond in their work on behalf of victims of crime. Emily Murphy will be the recipient of the 2017 National Visionary Voice Award. Over the last 12 years, Emily has been a Violence Prevention Educator for HAVEN, one of the 13 member programs of the NH Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. During her time at HAVEN, Emily has worked tirelessly to deliver Personal Body Safety, Media Literacy and Healthy Relationship programming to thousands of students in NH.
 
The press conference will be immediately followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony for the New Hampshire Clothesline Project Display. This annual display is organized by NH’s AmeriCorps Victim Assistance Program on the State House Lawn (weather permitting) immediately following the press conference; otherwise it will be displayed at St. Paul’s Church. This project highlights the pain and healing experienced by survivors of domestic and sexual violence. It gives survivors and their loved ones a way to cope with and express what they have experienced by writing messages on t-shirts.


About Crime Victims’ Rights Week: The week of April 2 – 8, 2017, is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW).  This annual observance, first designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, seeks to increase general public awareness of, and knowledge about the wide range of rights and services available to people who have been victimized by crime.  The theme for 2017 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is “Strength. Resilience. Justice” to reflect a vision for the future in which all victims are strengthened by the response they receive, organizations are resilient in response to challenges, and communities are able to seek collective justice and healing.
For more information go to https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/. #NCVRW2017


 
About the Coalition
NHCADSV is a statewide network of 13 independent member programs committed to ending sexual violence, domestic violence, and stalking, through direct services to victims, community education, and public policy advocacy. The NHCADSV and its 13 member programs do not discriminate based on gender, age, health status (including HIV-positive), physical, mental, or emotional ability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, socio-economic status, race, national origin, immigration status, or religious or political affiliation. For more information visit www.nhcadsv.org.