FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 8, 2008

NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS’ RIGHTS WEEK, APRIL 13-19, 2008

The Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the United States Attorney’s Office, Nebraska Coalition for Victims of Crime, Nebraska Crime Commission, Nebraska State Probation, Nebraska Department of Corrections and the United States Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime is co-sponsoring the 4 th Annual Crime Victims’ Rights Week Conference, April 16 - 18, 2008, to be held at the Downtown Double Tree Hotel, 1600 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE. Registration is $30.00 and includes conference materials and continental breakfast.

The local conference is part of a national recognition of Crime Victims’ Rights Week, and in light of recent events, this year’s focus will be on “Responding to Victims of Campus Violence.” Some of the keynote speakers who have graciously agreed to participate are: Beth Nimmo, mother of Rachel Scott, a victim of the 1999 Columbine school shooting; Dr. Roger Depue, who will discuss fantasy and the part it can play in victimization; and Dr. Dewey Cornell, University of Virginia, presenting on proper response to victims on campus. Training topics will directly address the issues faced by criminal justice personnel, victim advocates, educators, mental health professionals, law enforcement, fire and rescue responders, medical personnel and other professionals who provide services to victims of crime.

National Crime Victims’ Rights Week serves to remind us that crime can strike anyone. Whether it’s a drive by shooting, an attack at a crowded mall, an act of terrorism or a crippling identity theft, we are all vulnerable to crime. In a sense, victims’ rights are everyone’s rights. As we celebrate our successes, assess our progress and prepare for our next set of challenges, we remember that justice for victims promotes justice for all.

In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

Contact Kathy Thomsen of the Omaha FBI at 402-493-8688 for registration information .