KENTUCKY — The Office of Victim’s Advocacy represents Kentucky’s Attorney General’s Office throughout the state, providing a direct connection with local victim service organizations to promote awareness of victims’ rights.

The inter-agency was formally established in 1985, as mandated by KRS 421.500, the Victims’ Bill of Rights.

With victims at the core of our work, Kentucky’s OVA assists victims and their families by explaining their rights and helping them get the support they need to recover from the trauma of crime. Improves victim-centered, trauma-informed investigation and prosecution by providing training, resources and technical help to law enforcement and prosecutors.

“What we realize is that we definitely have a problem. And we know that Kentucky and our nation have, as you said, alarming statistics on the prevalence of domestic violence. And furthermore, one in four women will experience this type of violence in their lifetime. And of those, up to 68% will suffer near fatal strangulation at the hands of their partner. So we’ve learned that while these statistics are disturbing, we’re pleased that Kentucky recognizes these dangerous crimes for the severe and potentially lethal crime so that they are. We know that strangulation and domestic violence homicides are predictable. And we know that if something is predictable, it’s preventable. So our office recognizes that professionals need the right tools to get the job done. And our office is doing several things to provide these tools to professionals to prevent domestic violence in the state,” said Robin Diez D’Aux, executive director of Kentucky’s Attorney General Office of Victim’s Advocacy.

The OVA is also a recipient of a new, multi-million dollar grant from the Victims of Crime Act Formula Victim Assistance Grant Program, which prioritizes projects that serve victims of child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence. 

VOCA funds come from fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalties and special assessments collected from federal offenders by U.S. attorneys’ offices, federal U.S. courts and the Federal Bureau of Prisons also strengthen victim service systems by providing training, legislative and research services, educational materials, project development, and technical help.