Victim's Charter

In April 2006 the Code of Practice came into force, which now keeps victims and witnesses fully informed and supported through the criminal justice process. The code means that for the first time all victims must be told when a suspect has been arrested and why an offender received a particular sentence as a matter of course.

A victim's rights include:

• The right to - information about their crime within specified time scales, including the right to be notified of any arrest and court cases.
• The right to - a dedicated family liaison Police Officer to be assigned to bereaved relatives.
• The right to - an enhanced service in the cases of vulnerable or intimidated victims.

The Government aims to ensure that every victim, including relatives of people who have died as a result of a crime, has access to information on support services in their local area.

If victims feel that any of the service providers have not met their obligations under the Victims' Code of Practice, and are dissatisfied with the response to their complaint, they can take their case to the Parliamentary Ombudsman via their MP.

Area Director for Victim Support, Mick Studley said: "For many years Victim Support Leicestershire and Rutland, whilst being an independent registered charity, has worked closely with all the criminal justice agencies in providing victims of crime with improved services. We are pleased that the Code of Practice has been published and reinforces the services that victims can expect from when they report a crime to the police through to support after the court case."