The Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence was proud to be a sponsor of the first ever Summit on Crime Survivors: Support Survivors, Foster Justice held on June 13, 2025. The half-day event was dedicated to centering survivor voices, engaging policymakers, and fostering collaborative solutions to improve support systems and policies for those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and other forms of harm.
The event featured a powerful panel of survivors who shared their experiences across a range of crime types including domestic and sexual violence. Each survivor shared their journey towards healing and justice with the audience, which was over 120 people. They helped surface gaps such as fragmented and inaccessible services especially for BIPOC, immigrant, LGBTQ, disabled and low-income communities while also sharing things that worked well such as ongoing support from advocates both within and outside of the criminal legal system.
Amarinthia Torres, Co-Executive Director-Policy of CEGV, joined a panel with other professionals to share about the gaps, resources, and supports for crime survivors in our region. She shared, “As a result of sexism and racism, our society still struggles with misperceptions about who survives crime and narrow conceptions of how victims are supposed to act. Many victims, particularly from communities of color, or immigrant and LGBTQ communities may be reluctant to disclose abuse to begin with and these barriers also impact how victims are treated when they do.”
Survivors and community members expressed a deep desire for systemic transformation and a justice process that honors survivors’ needs not just institutional outcomes. By bringing together those directly impacted, those working in the field, and those in positions of elected leadership, the Summit on Crime Survivors created a space for healing, empowerment, and progress.