Helping Victims of Crime
The qualities of acceptance, understanding, security and support are, for most people, what make our lives enjoyable and fulfilling. It is not surprising that many people become deeply concerned when these qualities are threatened by crime and anti-social behaviour. Even if we haven’t experienced crime personally, the existence of crime can make us feel unsafe in our own communities.
This is particularly the case for people who have been victims of crimes themselves. Victims of crime often suffer physical or emotional harm, or loss or damage to property, as a result of a criminal offence.
To address the problem of crime in a coordinated and strategic way, the Department of Attorney General and Justice has been given responsibility for the development of crime prevention strategies (see Preventing Crime) and for providing support and assistance to the victims of crime.
Victims Services is a business unit of the Department of Justuce and Attorney General. Victims Services comprises the Victims Compensation Tribunal, the Victims of Crime Bureau and the Victims Advisory Board. An additional role of the Victims of Crime Bureau is to coordinate support to families and friends of missing people. To implement this role, the Families and Friends of Missing Persons Unit was established.
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