subject: Irish Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime [print this page] Irish Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime
In 2005 the UK introduced a Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, it set out a set of standards relating to victim support and to accessing information and is described as largely symbolic (Walkgate:2007:385). However unlike the earlier charters this code set out the services that should be provided by the statutory agencies such as the Crown Prosecution Service, the Police, the Compensation Appeals Panel, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority amongst others.(Walkgate:2007:212).
In Ireland in 2005 the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime was set up. Its main objective was to deal with funding in relation to the many victim support groups throughout the country dealing with various types of victims. Its second aim was to assist in the development of strategies and policies to support victims of crime. (www.justice.ie) The Commission was re-constituted in 2008 and in fourth annual report the Commission stated that in order to successfully support victims of crime, all the Criminal Justice Agencies had to work together. In 2008, 45 different groups offering services to victims received over a million euros in funding.
A Victim of Crime office was also set up on the back of this as part of the Justice Minister's Justice for Victims Initiative in 2008.
Among its key activities are
* Using the Victims Charter to achieve improved standards of treatment of victims by relevant state and voluntary sector organizations.
* Promoting awareness concerning the needs of victims of crime .
* Advising the Minister for Justice on victims issues in Ireland and on International developments (www.victimsofcrimeoffice.ie/)
While the Commission is a welcome and cohesive development which promotes a much needed multi-agency approach to tackling the issues relation to victims in
Ireland it is seen as too closely tied to the Government through the Department of Justice and so could never develop as an independent lobby group. Also the funding is low when compared proportionately to other jurisdictions as the UK and the US and this is an issue all groups will argue.
