Jack Straw on the National Victims' Service
"We have worked hard over the last thirteen years to change this – to focus the criminal justice system on the needs of the communities who live with the consequences of crime and on victims of crime, as those who have suffered directly, [while also working successfully to cut crime."
"In one of my first speeches as Home Secretary, I said:
"'This system should be there to work for the victim and the public. We must afford much more dignity to the victims of crime, and give them a chance to see justice dispensed on their behalf.'
"In the four years I served as Home Secretary and now three as Justice Secretary I have seen the shattering and corrosive effect crime has on people's lives. Indeed, throughout my 30 years as an MP, holding surgeries, spending much time in my constituency, I've met many victims – individuals and families who have suffered unbearable trauma and distress as a result of crime. No statistic about falling crime levels is any comfort, and nor should it be. But many of the people I've met have channelled their hurt into something positive – advising, arguing, advocating for change; often backing it up with practical suggestions which have helped to shape criminal justice policy."
"Victims' needs vary. But I've come across some consistent messages."
"First and most simply, victims want to be heard. I remember once meeting some parents whose innocent young boy had been killed at the hands of a stranger. Being able to speak up was critical to them. They were not alone."
"This government has worked hard to give victims a voice. Victims now have the chance to explain the impact of crime on their lives – emotionally, physically, financially – in the form of a Victim Personal Statement. Since these statements form part of the case papers, everybody who makes decisions about a case as it progresses – from the police officer right through to the Parole Board – can use it to inform their decisions."
"But at an even more basic level, victims need to be heard when they first report a crime, and they need to be confident that they will be taken seriously. So as part of the Policing Pledge, our guarantee to victims is that 'every contact counts'. The police will answer all calls promptly. They will visit upset or vulnerable victims within an hour, and keep victims informed of how investigations are progressing."
"Beyond individual cases, last year we introduced Community Prosecutors and Community Impact Statements to ensure the views of the whole community are reflected in the prosecution and sentencing. And we have brought together victims of crime, Ministers, and policy-makers through a Victims' Advisory Panel to ensure victims' views are heard by government and to discuss how we can do things better. The Panel has already exerted a powerful influence. It was behind the decision, for example, to expand witness support to victims of anti-social behaviour, as well as the decision to improve guidance on special measures for young witnesses."
"The post that Sara Payne holds – the Victims' Champion – was brand new. It has a simple mandate: to represent the interests of victims at the heart of government and beyond. By March this year, we should have appointed the UK's first ever (statutory) Victims' Commissioner – another reform which the Victims' Advisory Panel advocated. The independent Commissioner will promote the interests of victims and witnesses at the highest levels of government and will ensure that the pace of progress doesn't let up."
"Victims also want to be treated with
dignity and respect. They want to be supported – both emotionally
and practically – through what can be one of the most traumatic
times of their lives. And they want to be kept informed; to know
what is happening with their case. Two bereaved parents told me of
their shock and distress, for example, when they read for the first
time in a newspaper that the man who killed their child had been
given temporary release from prison. Another couple were
understandably upset when they first learnt through the local press
that their child's body had been found.
"This is why the landmark Code of Practice for Victims of Crime 2006
placed legal obligations for the first time on every criminal
justice agency to support victims and keep them informed. The Code
isn't just a statement of intent like its predecessor, the Victim's
Charter (1990, revised in 1996). It guarantees the minimum standards
of service victims can expect to receive, and puts in place a new
complaints system should agencies fail to meet those standards."
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