Affected By Crime - Individuals

As an individual affected by crime, you will be trying to come to terms with the incident itself, the legalities of the situation and the emotional/psychological impact on yourself and family/friends.

It is a lot to take in. For most people, you will not only be trying to deal with what has happened to you but also trying to learn how to navigate your way through police reports, investigations, compensation, the legal system and counselling. It can be very overwhelming.

However there are two main steps that you need to do in order to get the process started:-

Step 1 - Make an official complaint to police

Make a complaint to the police, The police are obligated to investigate all complaints of crime. If the police believe there is sufficient evidence, they will charge the offender.

For more information on actions a victim can take please refer to the Actions a Victim of Crime Can Take information sheet.

Step 2 - Make a Victim Impact Statement

A victim impact statement explains how a crime has harmed the victim. It is a written statement signed by the victim and presented to the court when the offender is being sentenced.

While you may not need to submit the statement straight away, you should start to diarise the event, your experiences, what has been happening to you, how this has impacted on your life and other such information from the moment the crime has taken place. That way you can provide the court with a complete summation of the full impact of the crime on yourself, family and friends from the beginning. This provides the court with a detailed account of the impact on you as well as provides an outlet for you to start to work through the experience. This can be useful in assisting you move forward from this experience and rebuild your life.

For more information on victim impact statements or writing a victim impact statement please refer to the Making a Victim Impact Statement information sheet.

Last Updated: 22 May 2006