Victim support and safeguarding
How to read the stories

Victim support and safeguarding

The police can also call on Victim Support to visit you to listen to your worries and fears. Victim Support provides information, practical help and emotional support to people who have experienced a crime, and to their families and friends. After a crime has been committed, a Victim Support volunteer can visit the victim at home to offer support and someone to talk to in confidence about the crime.

All criminal courts in England and Wales now have a Witness Service, managed by Victim Support. Trained personnel help victims, witnesses and their families and friends at court by showing them round the court before the hearing, supporting them on the day, giving information about court procedures, and arranging further help after court. Where an intermediary is appointed, the Witness Service can assist the intermediary by explaining court procedures. The intermediary can assist the Witness Service to communicate with the witness.

Not every bad thing that happens to you can be proved in court. Sometimes the only person who knows what really happened is the person who hurt you and they don’t want to tell the truth.

After the court is over there can be many different feelings. People can feel frightened, bad, sad, disappointed. Some feel bad if the person who hurt them goes to prison. Others feel bad because their abuser is still free. One woman, whose abuser was sent to prison, did not feel happy. She was worried the judge would know she had stolen a bar of chocolate when she was only a little girl! Courts are about truth and that often makes people think of little things they did wrong a long time ago even when they are in court as the victim. But for many, the most important thing is that they have a voice and are believed and listened to. Having a police officer, an intermediary, Victim Support and a judge all listen to you shows how powerful your voice can be.

How to read the stories

There is no right or wrong way to read the stories.

Some people are not used to reading stories. Start at the beginning and read the story in each picture. Encourage the reader to move through the pages at their own pace.
Encourage the person to tell the story in their own words. You will discover what they think is happening, what they already know, and how they feel. If you are using the pictures to help explain a procedure to someone, you may need to describe or clarify the actions being shown in each picture to help them understand. Try not to challenge the reader(s) or suggest their ideas are wrong.
Some pictures may be more difficult to understand. It can help to prompt the people you are supporting, for example:
• Who do you think that is?
• What is happening?
• How is he or she feeling?
• Do you feel like that? Has it happened to you/ your friend/ your family?
Allow people enough time to follow the pictures at their own pace. Allow time for discussion of each picture.
Some people may benefit from reading the larger story from which the extract has been taken. This will allow them to explore their feelings and experiences in more depth. To buy the complete book, follow the link to the bookshop that appears at the end of the story.