Draft Proclamation
Victims of Crime Week, 1986
The likelihood of becoming a victim of violent crime is greater than that
of being injured in a car accident. Last year, more than 35 million Americans
were victims of crime; of which almost six million citizens were raped, robbed,
beaten, or murdered.
The shock of a crime can penetrate the victim to the very core of his being.
In addition to the visible physical and financial injuries, an insidious emotional
injury tears the victim's sense of security, control, and even confidence in
his fellow man. Many victims desperately search for a reason why the criminal
selected them as prey. Often when they turn to others for support and solace,
they are ignored or treated badly. Many people unconsciously blame crime victims
for their plight; for it makes them feel less vulnerable to crime.
Crime victims turn to the criminal justice system seeking help, but too often
have been met with further harm. Frightened by the potential for future attacks,
victims have not felt adequately protected. Confused by a complex system, they
have not been kept informed about their case. Often devastated by the financial,
physical, and psychological burdens imposed by crime, victims have been given
little or no support to recover from an attack which occurred through no fault
of their own.
Three years ago the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime presented an
agenda to reform these injustices and restore balance to the criminal justice
system. Since that time, the Justice Department has acted upon nearly eighty
percent of the proposals. New programs are educating professionals on the needs
of crime victims, the persons whose pain sets the system in motion and from
whom its authority derives. Now 31 states have enacted the laws enunciated by
the Task Force to better protect the interest of crime victims. State and local
agencies, private organizations, and concerned citizens have mobilized to assure
that innocent victims are treated with dignity.
The progress is indeed promising. The tide of support for victims is swelling
and indicates the reforms on their behalf will continue to move forward into the
future. I commend the men and women, inside and outside the justice system, in
government and the private sector, in communities throughout the nation, who are
dedicated to the fair treatment of the innocent victims of crime. In so doing
they affirm our Nation's founding promise to provide liberty and justice for all.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America,
do hereby proclaim the week beginning April 20 as Victims of Crime Week, 1986.
I urge all citizens and government officials to continue their efforts on behalf
of the innocent crime victim. For the sake of justice, human dignity, and the
protection of law-abiding people everywhere, it is imperative that we treat
the victim of crime with respect and compassion.
IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this --- day of --, in the
year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and tenth.