Established in 1981, the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a time to both celebrate and to reflect. We celebrate how far we have progressed with equitable and victim-centered justice. By we I refer to not only the systems, organizations, and individuals, both governmental and non-governmental, who work together toward this common goal; I refer to the amazingly strong and brave victims of crime as well.

This year, the ceremony in Ventura County highlighted the local efforts by and for victims of human trafficking. The ceremony was held on April 27, 2023 and can be viewed on YouTube here. To me the best part was hearing from Alia DeWees, a Ventura County resident and human trafficking survivor who now acts locally as well as nationally as a survivor advocate.

She shared not only her story, but also her heart and passion for advocacy and is an amazing example of how someone can use the strength they gained in healing from a traumatic experience to help others (I recommend going to minute 34:22 on the YouTube link above to see for yourself).

Yet, despite the week being a time for celebration, the more important part is the time of reflection. The reality is the work is not done and progress is still needed. My hope is that we will all use this time of reflection and celebration as inspiration to continue identifying and removing the barriers that victims face in pursuit of justice.

- Dr. Walls