Office of the Attorney General
Attorney General Conway Hosts Victims' Rights Day Ceremony at Children's Memorial Garden

Attorney General Jack Conway and his Office of Victim Advocacy today hosted the annual Crime Victims' Rights Day ceremony at Cove Spring Park in Frankfort. The ceremony is held each year in observance of National Crime Victims' Week. General Conway and representatives from victim advocacy groups honored Kentucky's crime victims by observing a moment of silence and planting a dogwood tree near the Children's Memorial Garden at Cove Spring Park.

"I hope all Kentuckians will take a moment to remember the families who have lost loved ones or been affected by violent crime," said General Conway. "Through my Office of Victim Advocacy, we will continue to work to ensure that Kentucky's crime victims have a voice. I also appreciate the hard work being done by victim advocates across Kentucky. You provide comfort and healing to those who need it most."

General Conway's Office of Victim Advocacy served more than 1,755 victims in 2008 and provided $200,000 in grants to victim advocates across Kentucky in 2009/2010. The office also received a two-year $110,000 Children's Justice Act Grant to provide six, two-day advanced training sessions for law enforcement, cabinet social workers and prosecutors on the interviewing strategies, investigation and prosecution of child sexual abuse cases.

The first National Crime Victims' Rights Week was in 1981. Since then, the field of victims' rights and services has contributed to many accomplishments that enhance individual and community safety. Today, there are more than 10,000 justice system and community-based programs that inform and educate victims about their rights and provide supportive services to help them cope with the physical, emotional, financial and spiritual impact of crime. More than 32,000 laws have been passed at the state and federal levels that define and protect victims' rights, including the Kentucky Crime Victims' Bill of Rights (KRS 421.500-421.575).