Police Service to Victims

Question 1

A victim is..

Answer 1

• a person against whom an offence is committed
• a person who through or by means of an offence
committed by another suffers physical injury, or
loss of or damage to property
• a parent or legal guardian of a child or young
person who falls within the two bullet points
above (unless that parent or guardian is charged
with, convicted of, or pleads guilty to, the
offence)
• a member of the immediate family of a person
who as a result of an offence committed by
another, dies or is incapable (unless that family
member is charged with, convicted of, or pleads
guilty to, the offence).

Question 2

Only for the purposes of sections 7 & 8 of the Act, a victim
is …

Answer 2

• a person who, through or by means of, an
offence committed by another person, suffers
any form of emotional harm
• a parent or legal guardian of a child or young
person, who suffers emotional harm (except if
they are charged with the commission of, or
convicted of or found guilty of or plead guilty to
the offence concerned)
• a person who has experienced domestic violence
(as defined in section 3 of the Domestic
Violence Act 1995)
• a child or young person residing with a person
who has experienced domestic violence.

They include for example:
• members of the victim’s immediate family if the
victim dies or is incapable
• witnesses (e.g. bank tellers witnessing an armed
robbery at their workplace)
• people living in fear because serious criminal
acts are being committed locally.

A victim or a member of a
victim’s family who has welfare, health,
counselling, medical or legal needs arising from the
offence should be informed of and have access to
programmes, remedies or services that are
responsive to those needs.

Question 3

Section 7 Victim’s Rights Act 2002…

Answer 3

Any person who deals with a victim should
treat that person with courtesy and
compassion, and respect their dignity and
privacy.

Question 4

Section 8 Victim’s Rights Act 2002…

Answer 4

A victim or a member of a victim’s family
who has welfare, health, counselling, medical
or legal needs arising from the offence should
have access to services that are responsive to
those needs. This includes actions a court can
take to help them.

Question 5

Section 11 Victim’s Rights Act 2002…

Answer 5

As soon as practicable after the victim comes
into contact with Police, the victim is entitled to
be given information about programmes,
remedies, or services available to the victim
through Police.

Question 6

Section 12 Victim’s Rights Act 2002…

Answer 6

A victim and others disadvantaged by an
offence must receive information about the
investigation of the offence and specific actions
being taken against the accused person and
specific information about the proceedings

Question 7

Section 13 Victim’s Rights Act 2002…

Answer 7

Information may be withheld if there is a
good reason for withholding it under the
Official Information Act 1982, e.g. if giving it
would prejudice the maintenance of the law,
including the prevention, investigation and
detection of offences and the right to a fair trial.

Question 8

What are specified offences?

Answer 8

• a sexual assault or other serious assault
• one that resulted in serious injury to a person, the death of a person or a
person being incapable, or
• one of another kind, and that has led to the victim having ongoing fears
on reasonable grounds:
− for their physical safety or security, or
− for the physical safety

Question 9

What does a VNR notify the victim about?

Answer 9

The bail, release, escape or death or the defendant or offender.