North Dakota highlights nearly 10 Years of victims’ constitutional rights during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – This week, communities across the country are recognizing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, an annual observance that has challenged the nation to confront and remove barriers to justice for crime victims since 1981.

This year’s observance runs April 19–25, led by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime.

For North Dakota, the week carries special significance. In November 2016, North Dakota voters approved Marsy’s Law, known as Measure 3, with roughly 62% voter approval. The constitutional amendment took effect Dec. 8, 2016, guaranteeing crime victims the right to be notified, to be heard, and to be treated with dignity throughout the legal process.

“National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a time to call attention to just how far our state has come in providing victims of crime with constitutional rights,” said a spokesperson for Marsy’s Law for North Dakota. “North Dakotan crime victims have now had a voice in the justice process for the last 10 years, which is a milestone we’re proud to celebrate this year with survivors and advocates from across the country.”

A Voice for Victims

Holly Wethor knows firsthand what it means to finally feel supported by the justice system. As a victim advocate, she has seen Marsy’s Law change lives — including her own.

“You gain so much of your self-worth back, and you just see a clearer and brighter picture,” Wethor said. “I wish more people would learn about Marsy’s Law and learning through the courts that they can go through this and that they’re not alone and they can have that advocacy.”

Wethor’s message reflects what advocates across North Dakota say is the law’s most powerful impact, reminding victims they do not have to navigate the justice system alone.

Decades of Advocacy in North Dakota

The push for victims’ rights in North Dakota did not begin with Marsy’s Law. Advocates have been fighting for survivors for nearly five decades.

In 1978, the North Dakota Council on Abused Women’s Services, known as NDCAWS, began as an informal gathering of advocates from five crisis intervention centers across the state.

Around the same time, the Coalition Against Sexual Assault in North Dakota, or CASAND, was formed to address the statewide need for education, networking, and legislative change surrounding sexual assault.

Resources for Victims

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic or sexual violence, the following resources are available:

• North Dakota Domestic & Sexual Violence Coalition: (701) 255-6240
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1 (800)799-7233