RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Virginia fund for victims of crime reported paying $5.2 million during the last fiscal year.
The new report sent to the governor and lawmakers shows the Virginia Victims Fund's biggest expense was for funeral expenses, which are capped at $5,000 each per victim.
The fund also reported a 15 percent increase over the previous year in claims to pay for forensic evidence collection for victims of sexual assaults.
The victims' fund isn't paid for with state money, but is funded through court fees, assessments on offenders and other sources. It's processed more than 40,000 claims from victims of violent crime since its creation in 1977.
