BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) – In honor of the 40th anniversary of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, “HOPE for Victims” came to the Tri-Cities Wednesday.
The organization stopped by the Sullivan County District Attorney General’s office to pin staff members and law enforcement.
The pinning was in honor of victims of crime and the people who serve them.
The nonprofit, “HOPE for Victims,” was started by Joan and Mike Berry, whose daughter was murdered 15 years ago in her Knoxville apartment.
“Never in my life did I ever think anything like this would ever happen to us,” Joan Berry said. “You don’t think things like this would ever happen to you know, your family member, but people need to be aware that it can happen to anybody at any time.”
This year’s theme was “Support Victims. Build Trust. Engage Communities.”
“We want to make sure that we do justice, we do it fairly, that we really treat them with dignity,” Sullivan County District Attorney Barry Staubus said. “We try to provide the resources they need outside the criminal justice system, whether that’s counseling, whether that’s financial assistance, or groups that meet with other victims.”
The organization also made a stop in Washington County.
