Giving support to victims of crime

By John Rainsford

ALTHOUGH some indicators of crime have shown a downward trend over the past few years, violent crime is one activity which continues to rise year after year.
In the period 2004 to 2009, for example, Central Statistics Office (CSO) crime figures reveal that murders in Ireland increased by 80%. Attempts/threats to murder, assaults, harassment and related offences rose by 37%.
Furthermore, public-order offences and other social-code offences increased by 20% with controlled drugs offences rising over the period by a massive 123%. Almost 5% of the Irish population were recorded as being victims of crime in 2006.
Between January and June 2010 alone, Support After Crime Services, with a regional office in Cork City, received over 640 referrals and a total last year of 1,012, a figure which is likely to be surpassed this year.
Sally Hanlon explained, “Crime is now more violent nationwide. It is no longer a case of a few bad areas. There is growing crime across the country and a decline in the concept of remorse. Furthermore, any type or social status can be affected. In the past, it was mainly women who formed the vast bulk of our clients. today it is 60/40 in favour of men and those affected are increasingly younger.
“Typically, such persons have no experience with crime and need appropriate information about the judicial process and what will happen next. We do not take or keep notes or coach people in any way concerning their statements. What we do is to support people who need help. We want to get them back on their feet again. This can take years in some extreme cases.”
Her agency currently receives funding from the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime on behalf of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
The organisation, which was founded in January 2006, aims to provide a free and confidential service to those affected by crime.
“I would strongly urge people to report crime and to avail of the support on offer, which is free and confidential ,placing their faith in the criminal justice system. This may empower persons affected by crime and assist the healing process,” she said.
Support After Crime Services provides emotional support, practical assistance and mediation, when required, through the provision of trained and skilled volunteers insured by them.
Referrals are made through An Garda Síochána, self-referrals and voluntary organisations like the National Crime Victims helpline, covering reported and non-reported crime. Volunteers are supported by mentors.
Having served 18 years with the gardaí, Sally believes there has been a lack of understanding in the criminal justice system for the victims of crime in the past but that this is now changing.
“No-one asks to be a victim,” she stressed. “It is a new experience for them and we as an agency, try and give them the support they need and to be there for them. There have been major improvements for the victims of crime from the police, the courts and other stakeholders like us who want to see the scales of fairness balanced if you like.
“The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime invited parties to apply for funding to provide a service for the victims of crime and we were successful in our application to set up a service in our area. We met the criteria established and have continued to do so through the high standard of services we offer. We are currently a registered company with charitable status.
“We are the only such organisation dealing with these issues in the Munster area and we cover Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Cork and Waterford. There are a lot of demands made of us as an organisation and there is no point in taking it on unless you are able to provide a proper service and a good service. You must meet the stringent requirements that the commission have put in place and we do meet those,” she said.
The organisation also survives on charitable donations from such diverse sources as JP McManus, the court poor box and golf classics. Currently, they are making an appeal for new volunteers and have prepared posters whilst doing TV and radio interviews.
They look for a two-year commitment with volunteers coming from all walks of life. Confidentiality is a core element of what they do. Every six months, they do a review and report on their activities to see how they are performing.
“Anti-social behaviour can be soul-destroying, particularly if you are living in it all day long. That is why the work of the community garda is so important. I mean, your home is your castle, if it is violated you are violated. A person may be tied up or suffer injuries. It can have a devastating effect.
“Even though the perpetrators can be caught and property recovered, you may never recover your sense of wellbeing and the feeling that it might occur again may persist. Indeed, many people we deal with have other issues also, so often one impacts on the other. It may take some time for them to get back to normal.”
She acknowledges that it can take a lot of bravery and courage to seek support and to share one’s deepest thoughts in confidence. The agency is totally confidential and focuses on building trust with those involved.
“I know one person who was intimidated by her neighbours for years. The crime prevention officer has a role to play and cameras can empower people. There are other people who literally live inside their own homes and rarely go out. We have seen lives changed completely by their experiences. Victims do not have a choice; crime is the consequence of another person’s actions. Offenders have made the choice to commit the crime.
“We get great pleasure from our success stories. We meet people who are in bits and losing it. They think they are going mad. This is normal in a very abnormal situation but most people do recover and survive. They claw back their sense of normality. There is no time limit for this, everyone is different.
“Our support groups empower people in this recovery process; however, we would suggest medical input if we felt a person had a medical problem. We have seen many cases where, with emotional support and the ability to talk through their problems, suffers were able to recover without any medication.”
Although the organisation cannot fix every problem nor be able to campaign to change the laws, it does try to educate the police and those involved in law enforcement about the effect of crime on ordinary people.
Indeed, 73% of their referrals today come through the gardaí with two training days given by them in Templemore Garda Training Centre each year. Social workers and doctors are also made aware of their services.
In July this year, the organisation was pleased to hear that the Department of Justice and Law Reform had launched a Victims Charter and Guide to the Criminal Justice System. The development marks a huge step forward, Ms Hanlon feels, by reorienting the criminal justice system towards a crime victim’s point of view. It sets out their rights and entitlements to support services in easily understood language.
The charter makes commitments on behalf of the eight main criminal justice agencies namely the gardaí, courts, DPP, probation, prisons, Legal Aid Board, coroner service and Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal. Garda family liaison officers are promised for all serious cases involving death; ethnic liaison officers and gay liaison officers for dealing with homophobic crimes.
“We are not a lobbying organisation. The gardaí are getting the message and we have met the Garda Commissioner and attended conferences with the police on these topics. The police have heavy demands placed on them. Over an eight-hour shift, they may be dealing with new crime and new victims every 10 minutes.
“Despite this, I feel the guards do an excellent job and they are increasingly aware of how crime impacts on others. I mean all victims of crime get a letter from the PULSE system telling them the name of the guard in charge of their case and how to contact him or her. That means an awful lot to our clients,” Sally said.
She points out that the organisation does not have a ‘hang ’em high’ philosophy but they do acknowledge that it can be hard for a victim to understand that someone given two years for a crime may be out after only five months.
It, therefore, pragmatically supports new judicial concepts such as restorative justice where juvenile offenders meet their victims under the direction of the juvenile liaison officer. The victims can question them about what happened and their motivations for carrying out the crime.
Although it seems, on the face of it, to be open to abuse, Sally believes from experience that it is harder for the offender as he/she has to agree to the process rather than face a court appearance or a custodial sentence.
The perpetrator must show genuine remorse. The system is widely employed now through the Nenagh and Tallaght projects and the offender has no record as a result. The organisation also backs the increasing use of victim impact statements and Sally is adamant that judges will read them.
“People often get the greatest relief from being justified in court after having been proved right. I mean a person could spend 15 years in jail and the family of the victim are in the same emotional state as when the perpetrator went in.
“Judges can impose harsher prison sentences but there are fewer prison spaces to support these. A person can be vindicated in the courts yet the sentence subsequently appears insignificant. Therefore, we understand that jail may not be the answer in all cases,” she concluded.