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Following the release of the findings from the Department of Justice’s Northern Ireland Victim and Witness Survey for 2022/23, Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime Geraldine Hanna has commented that swifter action is needed to support victims of crime.
The 2022/23 Northern Ireland Victim and Witness Survey (NIVAWS) released today (03/08/23) is an integral part of the Department of Justice’s Victim and Witness Strategy for Northern Ireland 2021–24 and captures the experience of victims and witnesses of all crime excluding domestic, sexual or homicide offences.
The Commissioner stated that whilst she is aware of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland, these findings are still deeply disappointing albeit not surprising.
“I think it will come as no surprise that the impact of the pandemic on resources and court closures had a detrimental effect on the experience of victims and witnesses. The issues that existed prior to Covid-19 remain the same however, including being updated about case progression, being informed on the outcome of their case and the level of interaction with the Victim and Witness Care Unit. The findings also highlight that only 21% of victims were aware of the Victim Charter, with 27% of witnesses being aware of the Witness Charter, both of which are key documents that outline the entitlements that a victim or witness should expect to receive.
Much of the report chimes with what we are hearing regularly from individual victims, fewer than half of respondents who had been cross-examined (47%) felt that the barrister for the defence team had been courteous towards them. While I acknowledge that most barristers are professional at all times, this statistic is indeed reflective of the experience of many victims who feel defence barristers can be overly aggressive during cross examination. The system must take swifter action to address these issues if we are to avoid a continuing downward trend in satisfaction amongst victims and witnesses.”
Ms Hanna added: “Without the active participation of both victims and witnesses the entire judicial system would fall apart and it is therefore vital that anyone who is a victim of crime or who witnesses a crime can feel confident in coming forward.
We all want a society where victims have enough confidence in the criminal justice system to report a crime, safe in the knowledge that they will be supported and treated respectfully throughout their journey – however these findings paint a different picture at present.”
A full copy of the report is available by clicking here.