Ministry of Justice
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Court statements for families of murder victims 'a success' says new report
A pilot scheme giving families of murder victims a chance to tell the court how the death has affected them has proven to be a success, according to research published today by the Ministry of Justice.
The Victims Advocates Pilot evaluation measured the success of the new initiative to allow victims' families to have an impact statement to be read out in court. The publication marks the one-year anniversary of the decision to extend the key elements of the pilots nationally under the Victim Focus Scheme.
The Victims Advocate Pilots enable a meeting to take place between the prosecutor and the victim's family, pre-trial, to explain the processes and assist in making a Victim Personal Statement. These statements include the impact the crime committed had on the victim's family.
The evaluation report, published today, found:
* families welcomed it as an opportunity to have their voice heard in court and felt a sense of positive and active involvement in the trial
* families reported the process of preparing and delivering the statement to be therapeutic; and
* a variety of different reasons for families wanting to have a personal statement read out in court. These included a desire to give the court a better appreciation of the victim's character and to make the defendant understand the gravity of what they had done.
Justice Minister Maria Eagle said:
"By giving bereaved families the chance to make a statement about the impact of violent crime on their lives we are strengthening their voice and making criminals fully realise the consequences of their actions. The initiative underlines the Government's determination to put the needs of victims at the heart of the criminal justice service, a point stressed this week by Justice Secretary Jack Straw."
Charity group 'Support after Murder and Manslaughter' (SAMM) said:
"SAMM, along with other victim organisations, has been campaigning for a long time for the voice of the bereaved to be heard in court during a homicide trial. We were delighted to support the Victim Advocate Pilot Scheme, which gives families an opportunity to have their say in court. The feedback from our members is that they really found this helpful in giving them the opportunity to tell the court how the murder or manslaughter had impacted on their lives. They also felt that the process made them feel more involved in the criminal justice system."
Attorney General, Baroness Scotland said:
"I am heartened that bereaved families are clearly benefiting from their closer involvement with prosecutors and a greater opportunity to have their say. Prosecutors are increasingly ensuring that the interests of victims and their families are met, and their familiarity with courtroom mechanisms make them well-placed to read out important statements such as this."
The scheme is part of wider Government reform to address the needs of victims and witnesses. Other successful initiatives include the creation of a Victim's Advisory Panel to inform government policy; development of witness care units to provide information and support for witnesses; roll-out of the Witness intermediaries' scheme, which provides support for witnesses with communication difficulties, and the introduction of new offences to support those at risk of intimidation. The Prime Minister also announced this year his intention to appoint a Victims Commissioner to ensure a powerful voice for victims in government and beyond.
Since October 2007 the Crown Prosecution Service's Victim Focus Scheme has been open to families of murder or manslaughter victims and those killed as a result of: dangerous driving, careless driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs, careless driving and driving while unlicensed, uninsured or disqualified where cases are heard in the crown court.
The evaluation report notes that families reported that the pre-trial meeting made the criminal justice system more accessible and easier to understand, which they found comforting during a difficult period of bereavement and the subsequent criminal proceedings.
The scheme was piloted in Birmingham, Cardiff, London, Manchester and Winchester crown courts from April 2006 to April 2008.
Notes to Editors
1. Maria Eagle referenced the findings of the report at the 5th annual Victims and Witnesses Conference in Liverpool today.
2. On 27 October 2008, Justice Secretary Jack Straw called on the criminal justice lobby to ensure victims' voices are heard when he gave a keynote speech at the Royal Society of Arts in London. See weblink http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/newsrelease271008a.htm
3. The country wide CPS Victim Focus Scheme is designed to improve the support, information and voice available to relatives in murder and manslaughter cases and cases where death was caused by dangerous driving, or driving whilst unfit through drink or drugs.
4. The Victims' Advocates Pilots trialled a number of related elements to help give victims a voice and additional support in the criminal justice system.
5. During the pilot scheme 80 per cent of families chose to make a Family Impact Statement and 65 per cent of these requested that the prosecutor read it out in court. The full report can be found online at http://www.justice.gov.uk/
