West Yorkshire’s Victims and Witnesses Strategy

Victims and Witnesses Strategy

Supporting victims and witnesses is one of the key priorities in the Police and Crime Plan.

93.2% of respondents to the Police and Crime Plan consultation told us that supporting victims and witnesses was important to them, with helping victims of crime to get justice and increasing trust in the criminal justice system scoring most highly within this priority.

People in West Yorkshire want to be safe, feel safe, have trust in their police, and know action will be taken if ever they or their loved ones are harmed.

The Victims and Witnesses Strategy has five clear themes:

• Place Victims at the heart of the Criminal Justice Process
• Equality of Access to Justice
• Victims’ Journey
• Children and Young People
• Vulnerable Adults

Under each theme are statements of intent and ambition that reflect our desire to improve the treatment of victims, survivors, and witnesses within the criminal justice system, and reduce trauma, including, crucially, trauma generated and re-lived through repeated contact with the criminal justice system. This means improving access to special measures for vulnerable victims, all victims of sexual and domestic abuse, and children and young people.

Getting this right across the criminal justice system will improve outcomes, increase the number of people kept safe from their abusers, and increase the number of perpetrators brought to justice.

Read the Victims and Witnesses Strategy.