'Crime Victims' Rights Week' Begins Monday In Dakota County

DAKOTA COUNTY, MN — Crime Victims' Rights Week will begin Monday in Dakota County, the Dakota County Attorney's Office said.

Crime Victims' Rights Week will be from April 24-30 this year and is a time to confront and remove barriers to justice for victims of crime, the Attorney's Office said.

Dakota County Attorney's Office said that it will observe the week by celebrating the progress achieved in crime victim reprogramming and raising awareness for victims' rights and services.

"National Crime Victims’ Rights Week provides an excellent opportunity to honor our history, celebrate our accomplishments, and recommit ourselves to our mission," The Dakota County Attorney's Office said.

This year's national theme for Crime Victims' Rights Week is "Rights, Access, Equity, for all victims help crime survivors find their justice," which will commemorate the progress made by the crime victims' rights movement, officials said.

The Dakota County Attorney's Office said it initially committed to victims of crimes in 1977, which is when it established a victim/witness assistance program. Since then, tens of thousands of victims have gotten support, case information and guidance through the justice system, according to the Attorney's Office.

"One of my top priorities as Dakota County Attorney is to safeguard the legal rights of crime victims and to ensure that equitable, inclusive, and culturally appropriate services are available to help them find their justice," Dakota County Attorney Kathy Keena said. "I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to the victim advocates and prosecutors in our office who assist crime victims in navigating the criminal justice system on a daily basis."

For more information on victims' rights and other services, contact contact Kelly Nicholson, Victim Witness Supervisor, at 651-438-4471.