12 January 2005

VICTIM INFORMATION AND ADVICE SERVICE NOW AVAILABLE ACROSS SCOTLAND

Over 47,000 victims and vulnerable witnesses throughout the whole of Scotland have been assisted by the Victim Information and Advice Service (VIA) which is part of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Since VIA was launched on 14 June 2002, VIA teams have been set up throughout the country providing an invaluable service to victims and witnesses. The roll-out of the service throughout Scotland was completed on 30 December 2004.

Now every Procurator Fiscal can refer victims of serious crime, bereaved relatives and vulnerable witnesses to their local VIA team in order to provide them with a 'way through' the criminal justice process.

VIA staff, who are all specially trained and they understand the concerns and needs of people affected by crime. They can:

• provide information and advice about how the criminal justice system works and what a victim/witness should expect

• keep the victim/witness updated on the progress of their case

• arrange a court visit, to allow the victim/witness to familiarise themselves with the surroundings before a trial

• put victims/witnesses in touch with other useful services and organisations specific to individual needs and requirements.

Welcoming the completion of the roll-out of VIA, Solicitor General for Scotland, Elish Angiolini QC said:

"I'm delighted that VIA has been accessible to so many people throughout the last two years and that it is now available to victims and witnesses who need its services all over the country.

"The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service made a commitment to have the VIA service available across Scotland by the end of 2004 and this goal has been achieved.

"All our staff are aware of the needs of victims and aim to treat victims, bereaved relatives and witnesses with courtesy and compassion.

"Often, the criminal justice system can seem daunting, and VIA provides vital information and explanatory advice to victims and witnesses in these circumstances, helping them better understand and feel more engaged with the process."

This afternoon, at a debate on services for victims in the Scottish Parliament, Mrs Angiolini confirmed the completion of the roll out of VIA had been achieved, as promised, by the end of 2004.

Note to Editors

1. VIA has three main functions:

• provide information to certain victims, witnesses and bereaved next of kin about the criminal justice process in general;

• keep victims, witnesses and bereaved next of kin informed about the progress of the case that affects them in particular;

• advise on and facilitate referral to other agencies for specialist support and counselling as required.

2.VIA serves individual victims, or groups of individual victims, in all cases of domestic abuse, racist crime, sexual offences and cases likely to be tried before a jury. The service is also provided to all child witnesses or vulnerable witnesses and to the next-of-kin where criminal proceedings are possible, a Fatal Accident Inquiry is to be held, or further enquiries are pending.

3. VIA provides information on cases reported to the Procurator Fiscal from the time of first reporting to the conclusion of the case. This information includes outcomes of key stages and key decisions. For example decisions to grant/allow bail with special conditions are communicated to the victim within 24 hours.

4. VIA works closely with other statutory agencies (the police, Scottish Courts Service) and also with voluntary organisations (such as the Witness Service, Women's Aid, Victim Support).