Victim liaison
If you have been a victim of crime you are entitled to have your views represented in the criminal justice process
Our Aims
We know that being a victim of crime can be an extremely upsetting experience and we want to do all we can to help you come to terms with the distress and loss you may have suffered.
Nearly all young offenders under the age of 18 commit a quarter of all crimes reported to the Police. We want to see the number of these crimes fall dramatically.
We have found that one of the best ways to discourage young people from committing further crime is to make them face up to the consequences of their actions and the harm that they have caused.
How this could help you
Many victims of crime have found that becoming involved in the criminal justice process helps them deal with the anxiety and the anger they feel following the crime.
We believe that young people who commit crimes should be encouraged to take responsibility for the harm and loss they have caused their victims.
They will also be expected to make amends in some way.
Telling them how their actions have affected you may make them face up to the facts.
Telling the offender what you have suffered and gone through as a result of the crime may also help you feel better.
Many people who have taken part in meetings of this kind have found the experience helpful. They have been able to cope better with the hurt and the losses caused by the crime and have been able to put the memory behind them.
You do not need to decide immediately whether you want to participate. You should have he opportunity to talk it over with your family and friends. Even if you do not want to attend the meeting, the Youth Offending Service will be very interested to hear your views on the offence and how the offender could make amends.
What would happen?
A police officer/victim liaison officer will get in touch with you to discuss whether you want to participate. They would explain about Youth Offender Panels and Referral Orders. If you consent, they would give your contact details (name, address, telephone number) to the Youth Offending Service and perhaps some of the agencies that work on their belief.
Your details would NOT be made available to the offender.
The Youth Offending Service member will contact you to arrange a Panel meeting at your convenience.
There will be an opportunity at the Youth Offender Panel meeting for you and your supporter to talk about how you feel, ask questions of the young offender and say what you would like to happen as a result of the meeting.
This will always involve the young offender giving something back to the victim or the community, which has been offended against.
Your views will be important in helping the Youth Offending Service to decide how the young offender can make amends.
The young offender will not make amends directly to you without your consent.
Reparation could include:
- A letter of apology from the offender.
- Financial reparation
- Work to make good and damage caused (this would be supervised)
- Having the offender make amends in some way by carrying out some practical work on your behalf or for the community (this would be supervised)
What to do next
If you have decided to give your details to the Youth Offending Service, please in the form overleaf and return it to the Police Officer/Victim Liaison Officer who gets in touch with you next.
It is YOUR choice about participating: we will respect your wishes at all times.
If, during the course of the process, you change your mind we will, of course, respect your decision.
Victim Support
Whether or not you decide to take part, you can get help from an organisation called Victim Support.
It offers free and confidential support, by way of emotional and practical assistance to victims of crime and their families.
