Police support for victims of crime examined
The Home Affairs Committee continues its inquiry into the future of policing in a session focussing on how the justice system serves victims and survivors. Appearing before the Committee are Chair of the Criminal Bar Association, Kirsty Brimelow, and senior representatives of the Law Society and Victim Support.
Meeting details
In 2021, a survey by the Victims’ Commissioner found that only 42% or respondents felt they had been treated fairly and with respect by police. The number of offences leading to a charge or summons dropped to 5.6% for the year ending March 2022, with the figure for sexual offences down to 2.9%. Court backlogs mean victims and survivors have lengthy waits for justice, with the ongoing trauma leading to high rates of victims withdrawing their case.
The Victims’ Code sets out minimum standards for treatment of victims by criminal justice agencies, however advocate groups warn it is poorly implemented and police forces face no liability if they fail to comply with it. The Government has published the draft Victims Bill, setting out what measure it plans to take to improve the provision of support across the criminal justice system. Concerns have been raised about the lack of funding support in these proposals and victims of some forms of crime may be left out.
In this session, the Committee will explore what a high-quality policing response for victims and survivors should look like. It will look at how victim and survivor support is currently prioritised by the police service and examine what more can be done to rebuild trust. It will also look at how the police service can work with other bodies, such as the Crown Prosecution Service, to improve national conviction rates.