Help Offered to Relatives of Victims of Terrorism
The Ventura County district attorney’s victim advocates will provide counseling and death benefit assistance to families who lost relatives in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation Sept. 14 to extend financial assistance to California residents who lost relatives in the attacks.
The bill provides money for burial costs, travel, bereavement leave, lost wages and counseling to eligible family members. Victim advocates working for district attorneys around the state have been authorized to assist those family members.
Ventura County authorities said they don’t know whether any relatives of the nearly 7,000 people killed in the Sept. 11 attacks live locally. But officials said they will be ready just in case.
“If someone here in Ventura County had a family member in one of those buildings . . . they would be able to come to us,” said Catherine Duggan, director of the district attorney’s victim assistance program.
Relatives are encouraged to call 654-3622 for information.
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