Release date:
9/17/2018
(RALEIGH) Attorney General Josh Stein today called on Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and ensure funding for programs that aim to address and reduce violence against women and support survivors. Attorney General Stein, along with a coalition of 55 other state and territory attorneys general, wrote congressional leaders and the chairs of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees, urging them to vote to reauthorize VAWA before it expires this year.
“The Violence Against Women Act helps us protect families from abuse, provide support to survivors, and bring perpetrators of these crimes to justice,” said Attorney General Stein. “Congress must act so we can continue to address this violence and protect women and families who’ve suffered from these heinous crimes.”
Under VAWA, originally passed in 1994, more than $6 billion in grant funding has been awarded to government and nonprofit organizations nationwide. The grants have funded training and assistance to address and reduce domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The grants have also funded resources and services to assist survivors, prosecute offenders, and facilitate partnerships among prosecutors, judges, advocates, community organizations, and health care providers.
In their letter, the attorneys general emphasized the importance of VAWA to reducing the rate of sexual violence toward women and addressing the devastating effects of these crimes. They urged Congress to continue funding for programs that have helped millions of domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.
All 56 members of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) signed on to this letter.
A copy of the letter can be found here.
Contact:
Laura Brewer (919) 716-6484
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