Published date:
Read the results of the 2023/24 victim survey here.
Results from the first survey of its kind are an SOS message from victims, according to the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime.
Published on 30 September 2024, the shocking results of the inaugural victim survey include the fact that over 60% of respondents believe that the police did not investigate the crimes committed against them properly.
The results of the 2023/24 survey, the first in Northern Ireland to seek the views of victims of all crimes, paint a bleak picture of the criminal justice system.
Some of the most striking results from the survey were:
63% of respondents said the police did not investigate their crimes properly;
50% were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with how they were treated by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS);
Only 9% of respondents believed they got enough support during the court process;
Only 7% of respondents were fairly confident that the criminal justice system could deliver for victims of crime.
Not a single respondent was very confident that the criminal justice system could deliver for them.
The survey was carried out online between September 2023 and March 2024 and will act as a baseline to measure the experience of victims of crime in the future.
The Commissioner has also announced that the 2024/25 survey will open on 30 September and remain open until 23 December 2024.
The 2024/25 survey is for anyone who has been the victim of a crime since 2019 and did not complete last year’s survey and can be found here.
Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime Geraldine Hanna said:
“These results are nothing short of an SOS from victims of crime.
“Sadly this is not surprising and reinforces what we have heard from victims before.
“This has to be a wakeup call to every part of our system.
“From our elected leaders, through to the criminal justice agencies, we need a fundamental change on how victims of crime are treated here.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the failure in the care and support of victims has contributed to the poor confidence levels that victims have in the system and its ability to deliver justice.
One victim who responded to the inaugural victim survey said:
“My experience was so damaging, I felt like a small fish in a tank full of sharks who were always circling.
“I would not want anyone else to be treated the way I was.”
Geraldine Hanna continued
“While there was some positive feedback from victims the overall view was that of the inconsistent delivery of basic services.
“Sadly there is not a part of our criminal justice system that comes across well.
“The Commissioner for Victims of Crime in England recently published results from their survey and there was shock at the fact that only 27% of respondents were confident the criminal justice system was effective.
“Here in Northern Ireland the corresponding figure is 7%.
“In England, 38% of respondents were confident the criminal justice system was fair. In Northern Ireland that’s only 8%.
“There are challenges for our criminal justice system when it comes to resources, but there are ways we must improve.
“We need legislative change to better protect victim’s privacy rights when it comes to the disclosure of third party information and changes to sentencing laws.
“We also need a commitment from Westminster that we will have a funding model that supports a criminal justice system fit for purpose.
“But on a simpler level, we have to look at how we our system is consistently not getting the basics right and that’s not good enough.
“Behind these results are real people who have shown amazing bravery in coming forward and telling their stories.
“I truly hope those in positions of power and influence heed this SOS message from victims of crime and make the changes we so desperately need.”