Department of Justice

National Victims of Crime Awareness Week
April 13-18 2008
Finding the Way Together

Draft VIP Speech

Good morning/afternoon.

(Welcome dignitaries, add acknowledgments for invitation to speak)

We're here today to talk about a difficult subject – the impact of crime on individuals and families.

It’s a topic that most people don’t want to discuss. Crime can have a devastating effect on its victims and their families. Even if we haven’t been victims ourselves, sometimes just talking about what is happening to others makes us all feel more vulnerable.

And often, we also feel helpless because we don't know what we can do to help those who have been victimized.

One in four people in Canada consider themselves to be a victim of crime. And we have to keep in mind that not all crimes are reported.

(If there are local statistics or local stories, may wish to mention here, as in “I'm thinking about ....”)

In fact, crime affects us all, even if we are not the victim. Sometimes just the fear of becoming a victim is enough to affect the way we act. It can limit our choices, if we let it – where to go, whether we walk alone, what chances we take. It can make us feel isolated, and it can affect our relationships with our families, our friends, our neighbours and our community.

This week is National Victims of Crime Awareness Week (OR National Victims of Crime Awareness Week is coming soon.) That is why today, we are here to find the way together. We are here to support victims of crime, to listen to them, and to learn what they need and how we can help. We are here to think about how, as a society, we care for each other when we have been hurt or wronged.

Today, we can take comfort in the fact that certain crimes such as murder and abductions of children and youth are all declining in Canada. While we must take action to ensure that this trend continues, we also need to be there for those who are hurt by the crimes that do take place.

To move forward, we need to hear the stories of people who have been victimized. We need to help them find their voice, and restore the self-confidence and sense of control that crime can take away. We can begin by acknowledging that they have a role to play in the justice system and in our communities.

By working together, we can find the way.

Thank you. 

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