Today the Victim’s Commissioner has released the report from the second survey of victims about their experiences with the criminal justice system. Over the course of summer 2021 the Victims’ Commissioner’s office surveyed approximately 600 victims of crime. This gives more insight into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on survivors, and we welcome this valuable work.
Recently the report was made public, below are some of its key findings, along with comment from Gabrielle Shaw, Chief Executive, NAPAC.
Key Findings
- The survey finds just 43% of victims would report a crime again based on their previous experiences of the criminal justice system.
- 66% of victims told the Commissioner they had to wait too long before their case came to court.
- Only 29% of victims are aware of the Victims’ Code, suggesting more needs to be done to raise awareness of victims’ entitlements.
- Almost half (48%) said that having the crime fully investigated was the most important or second most important factor for them.
What do we have to say?
“Survivors call our support service to talk through their concerns about reporting abuse to the police and going to court, and we know these findings will resonate with how many people feel.
We advocate with the police and wider criminal justice system to listen and learn from survivors. Seeking the views of victims of crime is an important step to understanding and improving services and support across the criminal justice system, and we welcome the Victim Commissioner’s commitment to this work.”
Gabrielle Shaw, Chief Executive, NAPAC
The Victims’ Commissioner’s Take
“As this survey shows, victims want to be treated with fairness and respect by the police, for the crime to be investigated and to kept informed of the progress of the case…
All too often victims are still treated as an afterthought – a bystander to proceedings, rather than the valued participant they should be.”
Dame Vera Baird QC, the Victims’ Commissioner
If you are a survivor currently considering legal action, then you may find our legal advice page useful.
The research is available online at https://victimscommissioner.org.uk/news/2021-victim-survey/