news

Summary

Home Office (2004). Compensation and Support for Victims of Crime: A consultation paper on proposals to amend the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme and provide a wider range of support for victims of crime London: Home Office. Downloaded 22 April 2005.

We need to focus more support on victims to help them overcome trauma and distress suffered, and to build their confidence in the criminal justice system. This means not only providing financial compensation, but information, advice and practical support. The proposals in this paper complement a range of activity across the statutory and voluntary sectors to support victims of crime and build on the changes in the Criminal Justice Act to put victims at the heart of the criminal justice system. The Restorative Justice strategy published in July 2003 aims not only to tackle reoffending but also to offer new ways of providing resolution for victims. Last summer we published A New Deal for Victims and Witnesses – our National Strategy which sets out our vision for a co-ordinated approach to supporting victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system and beyond. We want compensation to victims to be targeted in the right way, and to come from the most appropriate sources.We believe that the proposals set out in this consultation paper should help us achieve that. (excerpt)

Link: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/victimscompensationconsultation.pdf

5819