On an average day, more than 8000 Canadians seek the assistance of victim-serving organizations. Three out of every four of these are victims of violent crimes.

Too often, people look at these statistics and focus solely on the offenders and how to get them off the streets. Unfortunately, this can mean overlooking the needs of the victims and the impact of the crime on their families and friends, as well as on our communities.
National Victims of Crime Awareness Week, April 13-19 2008, is a time to fight this perception and bring the needs of victims to the forefront of the debate. It is a week to focus on what we can do to support victims and give them a greater voice in the criminal justice system in the coming year.

The theme for this year’s National Victims of Crime Awareness Week, “Finding the Way Together,” recognizes the need for a cooperative approach that includes everyone, not just victims. Crime affects the entire community, and all must work together to find the way to recovery.

Victims have long been overlooked in Canada – if you had asked a victim before the 1980s what support services were available, the answer would have been short.

In 1983, a Federal-Provincial Task Force on Justice for Victims of Crime issued a report that led to slow but sweeping changes in the way victims were treated by the justice system. Since then, we have seen many improvements, including victim impact statements, the Canadian Statement of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime Bill C-79, which instituted testimonial aids for vulnerable victims and witnesses, and the appointment of the first Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime.

But there are still gaps that need to be filled. Even among justice professionals there is a lack of awareness of victim issues and a reluctance to take victims’ concerns into account.

Justice cannot be served unless victims can take part in the criminal justice system and have access to support, regardless of who they are, where they live, or where they come from. The victims of crime in your community need your help and support. I urge you to take advantage of National Victims of Crime Awareness Week to learn what you can do. Together we can find the way.