With the December 16, 2002 launch of Witness Justice it will mark the
inception of the first U.S. national organization directly serving victims
of violent crime by providing direct access to comprehensive information
and support to victims regardless of where they live. The organization,
founded by Helga West, was created to give victims of violent crime a
chance to connect with and help one another via online message boards and
chats, to provide a clearinghouse of information and resources to help
individuals through every aspect of the judicial system, and help with the
physical/emotional healing processes, and to provide friends and family
members of victims with valuable tools and information to better support
their victimized loved ones.
With 58% of violent crime victims not even reporting their crimes, many
individuals never find their way to traditional service providers through
law enforcement or state attorney's offices. Witness Justice will be
accessible 24/7 and provide a much-needed consistency in services and
information that often varies dramatically from state-to-state and
county-to-county. Regardless of an individuals ability to report their
crime, Witness Justice will be there to help them cope with what has
happened and to find a personal sense of justice and healing.
Witness Justice was launched as a virtual organization, providing a
full scope of resources and information including:
- The First 24 Hours (understanding what has happened and establishing a
critical sense of immediate physical and emotional safety)
- Steps to Healing
- Direct access to experts (mental health, legal, spiritual, relationship, etc.)
- A virtual community (message boards where victims can connect)
- Materials to help victims navigate the criminal justice system
- Information for friends and family
- Advocate for Victims (legislative information and advocacy)
For more information about Witness Justice, please visit
