- Survivors and advocates gathered at Utah Capitol for victims' rights awareness.
- Alicia Miller shared her story of loss and ongoing challenges after husband's death.
SALT LAKE CITY — As part of a nationwide effort to recognize victims of crime survivors, advocates and state leaders gathered at the Utah Capitol on Monday to raise awareness about the ongoing challenges victims face long after the initial incident.
Standing in the rotunda, Alicia Miller shared the story she said has defined the last five years of her life.
"Victim. That is a word I have never liked," Miller said, describing the day everything changed for her family.
Miller's husband, Arthur Miller, was killed when an impaired driver ran a stop sign in a Sugar House neighborhood at more than 50 mph.
"Five years ago, our family was made victims of crime through the actions of an impaired driver," she said. "My daughter and I rushed to the hospital to learn that my husband had been killed in an accident."
But Miller said the trauma didn't end there.
"Over the next five years, we experienced revictimization several times," she explained, referring to the repeated emotional and bureaucratic hurdles many families face as they navigate the criminal justice system.
Advocates at Monday's event said that pattern is exactly what they hope to change.
Rep. Verona Mauga, D-Salt Lake City, emphasized the importance of remembering the emotional state of those harmed by crime.
"I think sometimes we forget how vulnerable people are during these times when someone already feels scared or overwhelmed or broken down," Mauga said. "That's why victims' rights matter."
The event marks National Crime Victims' Rights Week, and representatives from the Utah Victim's Services Commission and the Utah Office for Victims of Crime provided updates on available support programs, resources and ongoing efforts to strengthen protections.
For survivors like Miller, those services are essential.
"The rights of victims must take a higher priority," she said, urging lawmakers and the public to continue pushing for reforms that prevent families from being retraumatized.
