New victim statistics good news, but work remains to be done – Victim Support

Victim Support is welcoming statistics released today showing a 2.7 per cent decline in victimisations over the last year.

“A 2.7 per cent drop is a good result in a single year and a very positive reflection on the work of our Police,” says Victim Support Chief Executive Kevin Tso.

The decline represents over 7000 people spared the trauma of a crime.

“Of course, we want to keep that trend going, but the key challenges remain to reduce crime and give victims a fairer shot in the justice system.”

“We want to see government keep their feet on the pedals. By breaking down the siloes and tackling the drivers of offending, there is no reason we can’t keep seeing these results every year and spare many more people from the consequences of offending.”

“Family violence, youth justice, the foster care system, and inequities in our education system are all amongst the big, long-term drivers of crime. There is good progress being made, but we’ve got a long way to go yet.”

Despite the drop in victimisations, referrals to Victim Support continued to increase during 2018. Referrals to the organisation have been growing steadily at a rate of one to two thousand each year, says Mr Tso.

“It’s important that victims know we’re here for them when they need us, and increasingly we do find that people are willing to ask for help.”

Victim Support provides victims of crime and trauma with help to participate in the justice system, understand and connect with services, and someone to talk with after grief or trauma.

Victim Support encourages anyone who needs help or support after a crime to contact them on 0800 VICTIM (842 846).

ENDS

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