Support for victims

Helping those who help us

The Victim Code outlines the help and assistance that you can expect from us and other criminal justice agencies when reporting a crime. Police officers and Witness Care Officers provide a dedicated point of contact for witnesses and victims and ensure they are updated during the investigation of crime and also during the progress of subsequent court hearings.

Here, a lady describes the service she received from her Witness Care Officer:

"Throughout the case my Witness Care Officer provided information that was both timely and unobtrusive. If I had any questions I always felt I could pick up the phone and talk to him. He knows what I've been through and understands my concerns. He provided me with regular updates; these could be anything from bail conditions and court dates to discussions about how I'd get to court from my home town which isn't in Sussex.

"If I hadn't received any updates on my case, I would have worried about what was happening. Having a nominated point of contact was very reassuring; I couldn't have asked for more."

When victims and witnesses have given their time to come forward and support a case, we are committed to meeting our responsibilities in accordance with the codes and doing all we can to keep you informed. Investigating and detecting crime is what we do, but we cannot bring offenders to justice without the people of Sussex behind us.

Support for victims of crime

Victim Support is a national charity for victims and witnesses of crime in England and Wales.

It provides free, confidential help to victims of crime, as well as their family, friends and anyone else affected. The support on offer includes information, emotional support and practical help.

You don't have to report a crime to the police to get help from Victim Support, and you can get it at any time, whenever the crime happened.

Who might need support?

Everyone reacts differently to crime. How you react will depend on lots of different factors - some relating to the incident, some relating to you, both the kind of person you are and the experiences you've had in your life. The effects are also likely to change as time goes by, both day-to-day and in the longer term. While some people are able to get on with their lives immediately, others can take weeks, months or years to begin to pick up the pieces, or talk about how the crime has affected them.

Having your home broken into, or being a victim of sexual assault or hate crime for example, can cause shock, anger, and feelings of loss. Dealing with your emotions can be difficult but most people find that talking about it helps. That's where Victim Support's specially-trained volunteers can really make a difference. They can listen to you in confidence and give information, practical help and emotional support at what can be a very traumatic time.

Compensation for victims of crime

CICA (the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority) is a government organisation that can pay money (compensation) to people who have been physically or mentally injured because they were the blameless victim of a violent crime. To find out more, see the CICA website.

The court process

It can seem daunting to give evidence as a witness in court. HMCS (Her Majesty's Court Service) provides an online video - Going to Court - A step by step guide to being a witness