More rights for victims of crime

Notification scheme to be expanded

More crime victims will get access to a range of information about the perpetrator and have a say on decisions about their prison release under newly unveiled justice reforms.

Currently victims can register with the Victim Notification Scheme (VNS) if the offender in their case has been sentenced to 18 months or more in prison, or with the Victim Information Scheme if the sentence was less than 18 months.

Under Scottish Government proposals to be considered by the Scottish Parliament, all victims will be able to register under one programme with the same right rights and same access to information, regardless of the length of the offender’s prison sentence.

A further proposal, if approved by MSPs, would give all victims the right to make representations where an offender is being considered for release on licence – and on the licence conditions they would like to see imposed. Currently this entitlement only applies where an offender was sentenced to four years or more in custody.

Improvements are also proposed to the range of information available through the VNS for victims of offenders in the forensic mental health system who are subject to a compulsion order and restriction order.

The plans build on previously announced proposed reforms to the Victim Notification Scheme that will create a new Victim Contact Team to give personalised support based on a victim’s individual needs.

The latest plans are being introduced as proposed amendments to the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, the next stage of which begins in the Scottish Parliament next week.

Victims Minister Siobhian Brown said: “These reforms will put victims’ rights at the heart of the justice system.

“Victims of crime will be able to sign up to one simplified notification scheme that allows them to receive information about the offenders and, if they wish, to have a say in decisions being made about the offenders, including their release. These changes recognise that a victim’s rights should not hinge on the length of sentence that the perpetrator is serving.

“One system will be easier for victims to navigate and this change will add to a raft of proposed reforms to the VNS, including the creation of a new Victim Contact Team.  We want victims to know their rights to receive information and to be supported to make informed choices on whether they wish to do so. We will continue to work closely with victims’ representatives as we take forward these reforms.”