W1 FL05 Dealing with Victims

Question 1

The Victims Rights Act 2002 was designed to …

Answer 1

to look after the interests of victims and to see their needs are met.

Question 2

What is Section 7 of Victims Rights Act 2002?

Answer 2

Courtesy and Compassion:

Members of the police, prosecutors, judicial officers, counsel, court officials and others dealing with victims should treat them with:

Courtesy, compassion and respect for their personal dignity and privacy.

Question 3

What is Section 8 of Victims Rights Act 2002?

Answer 3

Access to Services:

Victims and, where needed, their families should have access to welfare, health, counselling, medical and legal assistance responsive to their needs.

Question 4

What is Section 11 of the Victims Rights Act 2002?

Answer 4

Inform victims of services available:

Members of police, officers of the court and health and social services personnel should inform victims at the earliest opportunity of the programmes, services and remedies available to them.

Question 5

What is Section 12 of the Victims Rights Act 2002?

Answer 5

Supplying Information:

The prosecuting authority must advise the victim of the:

• progress of the investigation.
• charges filed or action taken.
• date and place of the proceedings.
• role of the victim as a witness
• outcome of proceedings

Question 6

What is Section 51 of the Victims Rights Act 2002?

Answer 6

Return of Property:

A persons property (other than the property of the defendant) held for evidential purposes must be returned as soon as practicable when it is no longer required as evidence.

Question 7

What is the ‘Golden Rule’ when dealing with victims

Answer 7

Treat victims as you would expect to be treated yourself

Question 8

What is the purpose of the NIA Case Victim Contacts file?

Answer 8

The NIA Case Victims file is designed to ensure that police staff meet the requirements of the Victims Rights Act 2002

Question 9

What are the two stages of emotional reaction?

Answer 9

The Impact stage - immediately after the offence

The Recoil stage - once victims have begun to adapt to what has happened.

Question 10

What are the emotional characteristics of the ‘Impact’ stage?

Answer 10

numbness
disorientation
immobilisation
feelings of unreality
childlike dependance

Question 11

What are the emotional characteristics of the ‘Recoil’ stage?

Answer 11

anger or rage
fear or terror
frustration
confusion
guilt or self-blame
violation
great shifts in mood

Question 12

Define Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Answer 12

is a serious psychological disorder in which the victim re-experiences the events surrounding the offence.

Question 13

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

Answer 13

startled response (jumpiness)
disturbed sleep
guilt
memory problems
concentration problems
flashbacks
emotional distress 
inability to re-enter normal activity

Question 14

What are some of the ‘do’s’ when interviewing victims?

Answer 14

• make the setting for the interview as safe, comfortable and private as possible
• introduce yourself and say why you are there
• hold the interview as soon as possible after the offence
• keep the questions as simple as possible
• ask the questions one at a time, to avoid further confusion
• ask the victim to state in their own words what happened
• allow the victim to “save face” if they make a mistake
• help prepare the victim for the contact with the criminal justice system
• as well as listening, observe the victim’s non-verbal communication
• use open questions

Question 15

What are some of the ‘dont’s’ when interviewing victims?

Answer 15

• judge the victims conduct or feelings
• ask questions that indicate the victim is to blame
• tell the victim that “all is right” or “all is well”. To the victim all is not well.
• say you know how they feel - you don’t
• touch or hold victims unless they show signs that they welcome this
• force victims to tell details of the offence if they are reluctant to do so
• overpower the interview
• take silence as a negative interview

Question 16

Who is a victim under the Victims’ Rights Act 2002?

Answer 16

(a) Under the Act, a victim means:
(i) A person against whom an offence is committed by another person
(ii) A person who, through, or by means of,an offence committed by another person, suffers physical injury, or loss of, or damage to property
(iii) A parent of legal guardian of a child, or of a young person who falls within (i) or (ii) - unless that parent or guardian is the person charged/convicted.
(iv) A member of the immediate family of a person who, as a result of an offence committed by another person, dies or is incapable, unless that family member is the person charged/convicted.

Question 17

What are the rights of victims?

Answer 17

Section 7 - courtesy and compassion
(At the top Want to be treated the best)

Section 8 - access to services
(Section 8 refers to the ‘ss’ in Access)

Section 11 - inform victims of services available
(Section 11 refers to ‘I’ in information)

Section 12 - supplying information
(refers to 1,2 in order of progress, keeping the victim in the loop of these)

Section 51 - return of property
(50/50 give one back you have 51 and they have 49)

Section 79 - Support person
(9 looks like P for person

Question 18

What does section 7 cover?

Answer 18

courtesy and compassion

At the top Want to be treated the best

Question 19

What does section 8 cover?

Answer 19

Section 8 - access to services

Section 8 refers to the ‘ss’ in Access

Question 20

What does section 11 cover?

Answer 20

Section 11 - inform victims of services available

Section 11 refers to ‘I’ in information

Question 21

What does section 12 cover?

Answer 21

Section 12 - supplying information

refers to 1,2 in order of progress, keeping the victim in the loop of these

Question 22

What does section 51 cover?

Answer 22

Section 51 - return of property

50/50 give one back you have 51 and they have 49

Question 23

What does section 79 cover?

Answer 23

Section 79 - Support person

(9 looks like P for person