Survey results an ‘SOS’ from victims of crime, says Commissioner Designate

Geraldine Hanna said the survey “paints a bleak picture” of the criminal justice system, with more than 60 per cent of respondents saying the police did not properly investigate the crimes committed against them.

Published on Monday (September 30), the 2023/24 survey is the first in Northern Ireland to seek the views of victims of all crimes.

Among the findings were:

• 63 per cent of respondents said the police did not investigate their crimes properly;
• 50 per cent were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with how they were treated by the Public Prosecution Service (PPS);
• Only nine per cent of respondents believed they got enough support during the court process; and
• Only seven per cent of respondents were fairly confident that the criminal justice system could deliver for victims of crime.

In addition, not a single respondent was ‘very confident’ that the criminal justice system could deliver for them.

Ms Hanna said: “These results are nothing short of an SOS from victims of crime.

“Sadly this is not surprising and reinforces what we have heard from victims before.

“This has to be a wakeup call to every part of our system.

“From our elected leaders, through to the criminal justice agencies, we need a fundamental change on how victims of crime are treated here.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the failure in the care and support of victims has contributed to the poor confidence levels that victims have in the system and its ability to deliver justice.”

One victim who responded to the inaugural victim survey said: “My experience was so damaging, I felt like a small fish in a tank full of sharks who were always circling. I would not want anyone else to be treated the way I was.”

The Victims Commissioner Designate while there was some positive feedback from victims the overall view was that of the “inconsistent delivery of basic services”.

“Sadly there is not a part of our criminal justice system that comes across well,” she said.

“The Commissioner for Victims of Crime in England recently published results from their survey and there was shock at the fact that only 27 per cent of respondents were confident the criminal justice system was effective.

“Here in Northern Ireland the corresponding figure is seven per cent.

“In England, 38 per cent of respondents were confident the criminal justice system was fair. In Northern Ireland that’s only eight per cent.”

Ms Hanna added: “There are challenges for our criminal justice system when it comes to resources, but there are ways we must improve.

“We need legislative change to better protect victim’s privacy rights when it comes to the disclosure of third party information and changes to sentencing laws.

“We also need a commitment from Westminster that we will have a funding model that supports a criminal justice system fit for purpose.

“But on a simpler level, we have to look at how we our system is consistently not getting the basics right and that’s not good enough.

“Behind these results are real people who have shown amazing bravery in coming forward and telling their stories.

“I truly hope those in positions of power and influence heed this SOS message from victims of crime and make the changes we so desperately need.”

The Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) victims champion, Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson, said: “I continue to be grateful for the Victims Commissioner Designate for their valuable work in continuing to make sure the voice of the victim is heard across the justice system.

“While the views of this small sample of respondents are disappointing, the most recent Policing Plan survey commissioned by the Northern Ireland Policing Board in 2023 found that 91 per cent of those who took part would feel confident contacting the PSNI and seven in ten people were satisfied with the job the police service do, while two thirds were confident in the police service’s ability to protect and serve.

“As a victim-focused service our officers and staff have worked tirelessly to keep people safe and tackle the issues that matter to the communities we serve, against a backdrop of increasingly limited resources and growing demand.”

He added: “As highlighted in the draft Policing Plan 2025-2030, which was recently launched for public consultation, ensuring that we are victim-focused is one of the key outcomes against which the delivery of effective policing will be measured.

“We have a close working relationship and I look forward to continue working with the Commissioner Designate to understand in more detail the issues outlined in the survey.

“Ensuring that victims of crime feel listened to and supported and they have the confidence to come forward and report crime to police.”

The survey was carried out online between September 2023 and March 2024 and the Commissioner Designate said it will act as a baseline to measure the experience of victims of crime in the future.

She said the 2024/25 survey will open on September 30 and remain open until December 23 2024. It is for anyone who has been the victim of a crime since 2019 and did not complete last year’s survey.