The Victims’ Commissioner’s annual victim survey, which aims to assess the impact of crime and justice on the populace and uses data from over 3,000 victims of crime, made for a grim - if predictable - read this year.
The YouGov data used in the survey revealed that 73% of respondents were not confident that justice would be done after they reported a crime, and that levels of dissatisfaction with responses from the police - particularly among the disabled – were higher than ever. The survey represents the largest ever of its kind carried out by the Commissioner’s office.
A disturbing two in five (40%) of victims whose crime was reported to police were dissatisfied with any response, it went on, and that figure rises to 45% for the disabled. There was also evidence that younger people and those from ethnic minorities were less likely to report crime to the police, creating a depressing circle of unreported crime where support would be most needed.
It is a revelation that will perhaps not surprise retailers who have fallen victim to shop theft, assaults or abuse in recent years – and who have decided to decline from involving the police in any offences that occur at their stores.
Commenting on the report and its findings, the Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, said: “When responding to my survey, victims repeatedly told me little is done by police when they first report a crime, or that the investigation is quietly abandoned at a later stage.
“This poor treatment leaves many victims feeling like an afterthought, with long delays in the court system compounding frustrations further.”
The findings come as the new government promises to “reform the justice system to put the needs of victims first”. It also follows a recent critical police inspectorate report, which concluded that “too many victims are still being let down by the police and the wider criminal justice system.”
In response to the findings set out in the report, the Victims’ Commissioner has made 15 recommendations aimed at improving the Victims’ Code and how its rights are delivered, enhancing victims’ experience with criminal justice agencies and expanding the provision of support services for under-served groups.
You can read the full report here.
1 Readers' comment