WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) on Tuesday applauded Senate passage of a resolution he authored supporting National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.  This year, the week will be observed April 22-28.  The Wicker resolution, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent, was co-sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

“We have come a long way since the days when crime victims had access to few rights and services,” said Wicker.  “Yet it is also true that too many crimes are still committed, that not all crimes are reported, and that many crime survivors still struggle to overcome the lasting effects of crime.  National Crime Victims’ Rights Week offers us the opportunity each year to highlight the needs of crime survivors, recognize those who help them, and engage the public in the fight for victims’ rights.”

Nearly 20 million Americans are victims of crime each year, and these individuals and their families are confronted with unique and difficult challenges.  Acts of crime inflict lasting physical, emotional, and psychological wounds that take time and care to heal.

President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Crime Victims’ Rights Week on April 8, 1981.  National Crime Victims’ Rights Week has been commemorated annually for the last 30 years.

A copy of the resolution, S. Res. 374, can be found

On Tuesday, Wicker spoke on the Senate floor regarding the resolution.  Click here to watch the video.

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