Minister Ahern Announces Publication of Research on Victims
The Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Mr. Dermot Ahern, T.D., today announced the publication by the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime of research on victims needs. The research explored the views and perspectives of a sample of victims who used services funded by the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime.
The victims told the researchers about:
- their own needs and those of their families,
- how they found out about services provided by voluntary sector organisations, and
- how well they felt the criminal justice agencies and voluntary sector organisations met the needs of victims.
The research also attempted to see how well informed the public and professional people likely to be dealing with victims were about support services for victims of crime.
The research found:
- victims have a wide range of needs, for a sympathetic hearing when they report a crime, for ongoing information on their cases, and for support and information when dealing with the court system in particular,
- seven out of every ten victims were satisfied or very satisfied with the sensitivity of Gardaí when taking a statement,
- more than four out of every ten victims were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the information provided by Gardai at the investigation stage,
- 88.5% of respondents who answered the question said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the Crime Victims Helpline,
- with similar high levels of satisfaction with other support organisations,
- 55% of relevant victims were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their experience of their court experience,
- participants identified their lack of knowledge about the legal system, and
- there was some lack of awareness and confusion among the public and professionals alike about the diversity of voluntary sector organisations helping victims of crime.
The Minister said: "While there are pockets of excellence in relation to services to victims of crime, this research underscores the importance of ensuring a consistent approach across the State. Implementation of the new Victims Charter and Guide to the Criminal Justice System, which I launched in July, is one mechanism for ensuring that such a service is delivered."
The Minister added: "The research process itself has contributed to improved services. Even before its publication the Victims of Crime Office has gathered together all the booklets produced by State agencies to inform victims, in a virtual library on the internet (see www.victimsofcrimeoffice.ie under Booklets). This is one recommendation contained in the research"
Noting the presence of key players in the State and voluntary sectors at the launch the Minister said: "I am sure that the State and voluntary sectors will step up to the mark and improve their delivery of services to victims as a result of the issues highlighted and the recommendations made in this research."
12 October, 2010
Note for Editors
The research entitled The Needs and Concerns of Victims of Crime in Ireland, was prepared for the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime by a team of researchers from UCC, led by Dr. Shane Kilcommins. The complete research report is available on www.csvc.ie (see Publications). The executive summary of the research is also available as a standalone leaflet. This leaflet is available on the same website.
The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime is an independent body operating under the aegis of the Department of Justice and Law Reform. Since 2005 it has been providing funds to voluntary sector organisations which support victims of crime.
The research focussed on the views of victims who had accessed the services of organisations funded by the Commission. The victims were asked about their experiences of An Garda Síochána, voluntary sector organisations generally and the Crime Victims Helpline in particular, the court system, and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The State organisations mentioned were not part of the research, as it was designed only to ascertain the views of victims.
The Crime Victims Helpline is a telephone portal for victims of crime, listening, supporting and informing victims of crime, as well as referring those who need it to organisations offering face to face support. It is available on 1850 211 407 and by text on 085 133 77 11.
For a listing with contact details of voluntary sector organisations providing support to victims of crime organised by type of service and by county see www.csvc.ie under Victim Services.
The Victims Charter and Guide to the Criminal Justice System sets out the rights and entitlements of victims of crime to the services given by various state agencies working with crime victims and the services of the Crime Victims Helpline (see www.victimsofcrimeoffice.ie under Victims Charter).