crime victims

Mental Health (Scotland) Bill

An Act of the Scottish Parliament to amend the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 in various respects; to make provision about mental health disposals in criminal cases; to make provision as to the rights of victims of crime committed by mentally-disordered persons; and for connected purposes.

Evidence and practice review of support for victims and outcome measurement

Research that aims to review the existing evidence and practice surrounding victims' support needs, outcome measurement and quality assurance in the victim support sector, to assess:

  • the support needs of victims
  • the effectiveness of interventions to support victims
  • how to develop victim outcome measures or indicators
  • how to measure victim outcomes
  • how to measure and assess quality in support service provision.

Making justice work for victims and witnesses: Victims and Witnesses Bill - a consultation paper

The Scottish Government’s Making Justice Work Programme represents the most significant set of reforms to courts for more than a century. A central objective of the programme is to improve the experience of victims and witnesses, and a commitment has been made to to bring forward a Victims and Witnesses Bill during this Parliament.

Joint inspection report on the experience of young victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system

Report of the Chief Inspectors of Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) into the treatment of young victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system (CJS). It has been undertaken as part of the criminal justice Chief Inspectors’ joint inspection programme for 2010-11.

On the safe side: principles for the safe accommodation of child victims of trafficking

Document that explores the issues around what makes accommodation safe for child victims of trafficking. ECPAT UK undertook structured face-to-face interviews and a roundtable discussion with a range of professionals, including local authority children’s services, the police, NGOs and organisations accommodating child victims of trafficking, as well as ascertaining the views of the young people themselves. This led to the formulation of 10 child-centred principles concerning the provision of safe accommodation for child victims and/or suspected child victims of trafficking.

Summing up: a strategic audit of the criminal justice system

Audit that looks at the performance of the principal justice agencies through the eyes of the victims and witnesses who use them.

There are many aspects of our justice system that are very positive – for example, the fall in crime and anxiety, and rise in public confidence – but this audit shows that despite these changes, victims and witnesses are still not treated as well as they should be.

Supporting high-risk victims of domestic violence: a review of Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs)

The strategic narrative on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) published in November 2010 announced that a review of MARACs would be undertaken in order to improve understanding of how MARACs are working and potential areas of development, including considering the case for putting MARACs on a statutory basis. The report presents the key findings of that review.

Out of mind, out of sight: breaking down the barriers to understanding child sexual exploitation

This thematic assessment was undertaken with four principle objectives:

1. Assess the size and scale of ‘localised grooming’ in proportion to the overall known picture of sexual exploitation
of children under the age of 18 in the UK
2. Establish any patterns of offending profile or victim experience
3. Assess the effectiveness of processes which might help identify such offending or potential victims
4. Recommend action to be taken to reduce the risk in future, including any urgent action that becomes apparent.