BERRIEN COUNTY — The Berrien County Prosecutor’s office will help host a Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 8 to April 14.

A memorial event will take place at the courthouse in St. Joseph. The event is in memory of victims who lost their lives as the result of a crime committed in Berrien County during 2017 and to date in 2018. 

From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 13, invited guests who attend the event will be given a balloon to write a message on and then be escorted outside with a victim advocate to launch the helium-filled balloon in memory of their loved one or friend who is a deceased crime victim.

The mid-day balloon launching event will provide a time for families and friends of deceased victims to honor the memory of their loved one.

The event will also be an opportunity for the participating families to convey to the community a message of hope, restoration and healing for those whose lives have been forever changed as a result of losing a loved one in a crime.

Although this event is an awareness event for Crime Victims’ Rights Week, the hope is that it will also serve as a reminder to the community of the pain and suffering that crime victims and their families endure, yet demonstrate that victims are not forgotten.