Tag: victims of crime

Supporting vulnerable witnesses

Investment in specialist evidence suites to reduce trauma

More child and vulnerable adult witnesses involved in serious criminal trials will have access to specialist suites to pre-record evidence, away from the courtroom, following a further £2 million investment from the Scottish Government.

The funding means dedicated facilities – known as Evidence by Commissioner (EBC) suites – will be established in areas covered by two sheriffdoms which don’t currently have their own designated facilities.

The suites create safe, managed, trauma-informed environments where witnesses are supported to provide their best evidence as early as possible. Evidence shows that allowing children and vulnerable witnesses to pre-record evidence reduces stress and the risk of re-traumatisation.

The two new suites will cover the North Strathclyde and South Strathclyde, Dumfries & Galloway Sheriffdoms.

They will add to the Scottish Court and Tribunal Service’s (SCTS) four existing bespoke EBC suites (located in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness), and a fifth one due to open in Dundee this summer – meaning there will be country-wide provision by April 2026.

The total investment from Government for the existing suites and the two new facilities being established is more than £4 million. Hundreds of children and vulnerable adult witnesses have already benefitted from using the suites and the additional funding means many more will get access to such facilities.

The Scottish Government is also providing a further £500,000 to Victim Support Scotland to develop access to their remote evidence suites in Edinburgh, increasing the support they already provide to victims and witnesses of crime in their suite in Glasgow.

Speaking on a visit to Victim Support Scotland’s remote evidence suite in Glasgow, Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “This significant investment in our court estate means that children and those who have been victims of some of the most traumatic crimes are supported to give their best evidence as early as possible in the process, and in advance of trial.

“Vulnerable witnesses across the country will have access to specialist, modern and purpose-built suites to pre-record their evidence, helping to reduce the risk of re-traumatisation. This, and other support available, will help victims and witnesses to start on the path to recovery at the earliest possible stage.

“Putting victims and witnesses at the heart of the justice system is part of our Vision for Justice. The EBC suites, along with landmark reforms proposed in the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform Bill, which Parliament is considering at Stage 1 this week, will build a trauma-informed justice system that victims and witnesses can have confidence in.”

Danielle McLaughlin, The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service’s Head of Implementation said: “The judicially led Evidence and Procedure Review, supported by the SCTS, made clear the importance of taking a new approach to ensuring children and vulnerable adult witnesses can give the best quality of evidence as early as possible, while minimising further trauma.

“Today’s announcement, confirming the next steps in the implementation of a statutory pre-recorded evidence presumption is a key step in ensuring that vision.

“An essential part in minimising trauma when giving evidence is by securing and using the best environment available. SCTS is committed to the further development and expansion of trauma informed evidence by commission facilities across a wider geographical reach.

“We welcome this additional £2 million funding which will help us to take the next initial steps to create additional commission facilities ensuring that we have at least one commission facility within the geographical reach of each sheriffdom.”  

Kate Wallace, Chief Executive of Victim Support Scotland, welcomed the extra £500,000 funding for its remote evidence facilities. She said: “We at Victim Support Scotland are entirely committed to supporting victims and witnesses to give their best evidence.

“Victims consistently tell us about the traumatic impact of giving evidence, including the anxiety of attending an often-intimidating court building. Being able to give evidence in a location different to the court, known as remote evidence, can help reduce this dramatically.

“This welcome funding from the Scottish Government will allow us to extend remote evidence suites to our new office facility in Edinburgh to complement the remote evidence suites at our Glasgow offices.

“We’re delighted to be able to embrace available technology to offer more choice and control to victims and witnesses.”

Budget funding to cut reoffending and reduce victim numbers

A total of £148 million will be invested in community justice services next year to help reduce reoffending so there are fewer victims of crime.

The funding in the draft 2024-25 Budget includes an additional £14 million to encourage wider use of robust community-based interventions where appropriate.

Evidence shows such interventions, including Community Payback Orders and Structure Deferred Sentences, can be more effective than short-term imprisonment at reducing reoffending and assisting with rehabilitation.

The £148 million will be distributed across a range a range of community justice partners, including local authority justice social work services and third-sector organisations.

Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Protecting the public and delivering safe communities is my absolute priority.  

“This significant investment in community justice will support organisations to work together to ensure that people who have offended address the underlying causes of their behaviour and pay back to the community where appropriate. This aims to encourage rehabilitation, reduce reoffending, and protect the public, leading to fewer victims and safer communities.

“While prison is needed for those who pose a risk to public safety, evidence shows that community-based interventions and sentences can be more effective in reducing reoffending than short-term custodial sentences, while robustly managing risk.

“This funding is part of our overall £3.8 billion Budget investment in justice for 2024-25 which will support policing and other frontline services and help to deliver a safe, secure and resilient country.”

£500,000 more support for Scottish victims’ organisations

Organisations supporting victims and survivors of crime in Scotland will receive a £500,000 boost from a fund that takes money from offenders.

Seven organisations – including Victim Support Scotland and Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland – will share grant funding to provide practical help directly to victims.

This includes paying for emergency housing costs, meeting food, utility and clothing expenses, and helping with costs to repair or replace damaged property or goods and for mental health services such as counselling. 

It is the third tranche of payments from the Victim Surcharge Fund – which comes from the additional penalties imposed on offenders who receive a court fine – since its introduction in 2019.

To date, the Fund has helped more than 1,200 people affected by crime, with around £917,000 awarded  – a clear sign of how the Scottish Government continues to prioritise victims.

Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “It is absolutely right that criminals should pay towards helping victims of crime as they recover from their experience.

“Over the past five years we have invested £93 million through our justice budget to put victims’ rights and needs at the centre of the criminal justice system, demonstrating our commitment to putting victims first.

“This latest funding we are awarding from the Victim Surcharge Fund will help people impacted by crime to access support when they need it most while enabling organisations such as Victim Support Scotland and Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland to provide even more help to victims and their families.”

Kate Wallace, CEO of Victim Support Scotland (VSS) said: “Confirmation of this funding means that VSS can continue this vital and life-changing support to people affected by crime and who have no other means of financial support.

“The cost-of-living crisis has meant that more people affected by crime are struggling to make ends meet. Funding from the Victim Surcharge Fund allows VSS to provide essential items such as food vouchers, property repairs, alarms and funeral costs, thereby meeting the needs of vulnerable victims immediately following a crime.

“Since April 2020, VSS Emergency Assistance Fund has provided £903,000 worth of goods to 3,143 people and their families, funded in part through the Victim Surcharge Fund. We accept applications directly from people affected by crime and have received referrals from over 200 support organisations.

The following organisations are set to benefit from the Victim Surcharge Fund in 202:3

  • Victim Support Scotland (VSS) – £440,000
  • Edinburgh Women’s Aid – £25,559
  • Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland (SOHTIS) – £7,700
  • Central Advocacy Partners – £5,000
  • Women’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre Dundee & Angus – £10,000
  • Dumbarton District Women’s Aid – £10,000
  • Manda Centre – £5,000

Extra support for crime victims

Victims of crime struggling financially amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will be able to access assistance worth up to £3,000, Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has announced.

A victims’ fund of £100,000 will help meet immediate financial needs of victims, paying for a wide range of goods and services where they have no other access to funds.

Victim Support Scotland (VSS), which will administer the fund, already provides financial support totalling £30,000 a year through the Scottish Government-backed ‘victims’ fund’. The new enhanced fund increases this to £100,000 and is available to victims supported by other organisations as well as VSS.

Following discussions with a range of victims organisations about the immediate and potential impact of the current national crisis and public health response – particularly on some of Scotland’s most vulnerable victims of crime – the Scottish Government has increased the size of the fund for the new financial year by £70,000.

Mr Yousaf said: “Across the country, we are seeing incredible acts of courage and self-sacrifice as we all strive to keep our loved-ones and our communities safe in this public health emergency.

“However, for victims of crime, the impact of their own experience can be long-lasting – even before we consider the understandable anxiety that they will be feeling, along with most of us, about the coronavirus outbreak.

“While overall crime, including non-sexual violent crime, has fallen substantially over the last decade, we know that those living in our most disadvantaged communities are more likely to experience crime.

“That is why I’ve decided to increase our investment in the victims fund and help deliver a range of goods and services which are likely to be required by the most vulnerable victims during the outbreak. This includes support such as food vouchers, help with utility bills, as well as assistance for domestic abuse victims who may have to urgently leave their homes.

“The fund will also be able to help with other costs which have arisen as a direct result of being a victim of crime such as contributions towards insurance excesses, improved home security, and replacement windows, doors and furniture.”

Kate Wallace, Chief Executive of Victim Support Scotland, said: “The increase to the victims’ fund is hugely beneficial at this time when people are social distancing, self-isolating and spending more time online.

“Isolation, in particular, can impact people affected by crime as their support networks may not be available in the same ways as before. We expect certain crime types to rise, such as fraud, cybercrime, stalking and domestic, child and elderly abuse. The fund will allow us to be adaptive and responsive to individual victim’s needs.

“These are challenging times which have the potential to greatly affect victims. Victim Support Scotland is committed to providing practical help and emotional support to anyone affected by crime during the coronavirus outbreak and has increased helpline and webchat services. We encourage anyone who needs support to get in touch.”

Victim Support Scotland provide free emotional and practical support for victims and witnesses of crime. Their Freephone helpline number is 0800 160 1985 and their website is http://www.victimsupport.scot.