MEDIA ADVISORY: U.S Attorney Will Thompson to Honor Crime Victims and Advocates at Thursday, April 18, 2024 Ceremony

Press Release

West Virginia Supreme Court Among Honorees for Outreach Initiative

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - United States Attorney Will Thompson will preside over the Opening Ceremony for the 23rd Annual Operation Reach Out and present this year's Excellence in Victim Advocacy and Justice Awards on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 10 a.m. at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston.

Honorees include the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals for its Remote Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Outreach Project. This initiative allows victims in a growing number of counties to file petitions and participate in court hearings remotely, without having to be in the same building as the people from whom they are seeking protection. Law enforcement officers, local and state government officials, and nonprofit service organizations are also among the honorees.

This annual event is held to raise awareness of victims' rights, educate the public about the various organizations that provide services to crime victims, and promote crime prevention and safety.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and the Operation Reach Out Committee sponsor this ceremony in coordination with National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW), which is being commemorated this year on April 21-27. The 2024 NCVRW theme is "How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors."

The Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims' Rights Week. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims' Rights Week to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.

More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim's Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/national-crime-victims-rights-week/overview.

WHAT: 23rd Annual Operation Reach Out Opening Ceremony

WHEN: Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 10 a.m.

WHERE: Fifth Floor, Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse, Charleston

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.

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Updated April 16, 2024