MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY - Crime victims from across Missouri met at the Capitol Rotunda on Monday for the first act of the Crime Victim's Rights Week.
About those speaking to the audience of about 100 was Ashley Hatfield, a high school senior student whose mother was killed by a drunk driver when she was 14.
"Luckily, crime victims have rights today. All my mom's rights were taken away that night. Even the right to life," Hatfield said.
The event was sponsored by Missouri Victims Association, founded as a nonprofit organization in 1984 to defend and support victims of all short of crimes across the state.
"During these 13 years our purpose has been work for a fair treatment for crime victims in Missouri criminal system." Said Kathy Tofall, president of the association.
The association's theme for this year is "Let victims' rights ring across America" and the symbol this time is a bell as an expression of the 200 years celebration of independence in Philadelphia.
"We have to renew efforts in this fight and celebrate a new birth of freedom for all of us," Gov. Mel Carnahan told the group.
At the end of the ceremony, all the speakers received a glass bell from the association as a recognition of their efforts in the fight against crime.
"We have to ring the bell for the victims and for those who helped them," said Tofall.