7 FAM 1960
CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE, COMPENSATION PROGRAMS, AND
RESOURCES
(CT:CON-804; 04-30-2018)
(Office of Origin: CA/OCS)
7 FAM 1961 CRIME VICTIM ASSISTANCE
(CT:CON-99; 12-22-2004)
Thousands of specialized victim assistance programs have
been established throughout the U.S. to provide crisis intervention,
counseling, emergency shelter, emergency transportation, and criminal justice
advocacy and information to crime victims. Assistance programs often include
rape crisis counseling, shelter or other resources for battered women and child
abuse diagnostic treatment facilities. These programs are often available to
local residents who have been victims of crime while traveling abroad.
Services are often provided at little or no cost to the victim. Some states
also provide compensation to victims of crimes that occurred overseas. See state-by-state
compensation programs on-line and see Victim Compensation Programs tabs in
the Consular Assistance to Victims of Crime Resource Notebook, on the CA/OCS
Intranet feature.
7 FAM 1962 CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION
(CT:CON-99; 12-22-2004)
a. Crime victim compensation can be a crucial financial
resource for many Americans traveling abroad. All states, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have a crime victim
compensation program that reimburses their residents who are crime victims for
certain expenses that result from crime and who are not covered by insurance.
These primarily include medical and medical evacuation, counseling, funeral and
burial expenses, and loss of support for dependents of homicide victims and
lost wages. However, not all programs cover incidents of crime that occurred
abroad.
b. Oftentimes, the money is not available up-front, and
funding/reimbursement may take weeks or months.
c. Approximately 30 countries have crime victim
compensation programs for their citizens; some even have compensation programs
for foreign nationals victimized in their jurisdiction. You may wish to
develop a handout/Web site regarding compensation programs available in the
host country. See Foreign Victim Compensation Programs Tab in the Consular
Assistance to Victims of Crime Resource Notebook, on the CA/OCS Intranet
feature.
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Victim compensation is money paid from a public fund to
victims to reimburse certain out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a direct
result of a violent crime perpetrated against them.
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7 FAM 1962.1 Assisting Victims
with Compensation Programs
(CT:CON-99; 12-22-2004)
a. Consult with CA/OCS/ACS to facilitate contact with
the state compensation program or to identify other U.S. resources.
b. The victim must submit directly to the state
compensation program:
(1) A completed and signed application;
(2) A police report; and
(3) Documentation of expenses with receipts.
c. The Department of Justices Office of Victims of
Crime (OVC) was established by the 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to oversee
diverse programs that benefit victims of crime. OVC provides funding to state
victim assistance and compensation programs offered in each state - the
lifeline services that help victims to heal. They also publish the
International Directory of Crime Victims Compensation Programs, which was
compiled and written by CA/OCS and posts abroad. See Foreign Victim
Compensation Program tab in the Consular Assistance to Victims of Crime
Resource Notebook, on the CA/OCS Intranet feature.
7 FAM 1962.2 Terrorism and
International Victims Unit (TIVU)
(CT:CON-99; 12-22-2004)
a. The Department of Justice has also established the
Terrorism and International Victims Unit (TIVU) which is responsible for
developing programs and initiatives regarding assistance to victims of
terrorism and to victims of crimes involving transnational dimensions, such as
victimization of tourists, trafficking of adults and children for sexual or
work exploitation, and international child abduction victims. The TIVU staff
is responsible for coordinating OVC resources and funding for victims of
terrorism and for administering the new International Terrorism Victims
Compensation Program. OVC recognizes that as countries and their citizens
become more linked through tourism, Internet usage, and international trade,
issues of violent crime and victimization increasingly becomes an international
concern and focus.
b. In addition to other responsibilities, TIVU:
(1) Administers OVCs Antiterrorism and Emergency
Assistance Program;
(2) Provides information, benefits, and services to U.S. nationals who are victims of terrorism abroad;
Identifies appropriate resources and coordinates OVC
funding for victims of terrorism from crisis response stages through post-trial
proceedings;
Is responsible for administering a compensation program
for U.S. nationals who are victims of terrorism outside the United States; and
Develops informational materials for victims of
terrorism and transnational crimes.
7 FAM 1963 through 1969 Unassigned