The NSW Government has today approved the appointment of Hannah Damkar as the state's first independent Victims of Crime Commissioner, with the appointment to be formally made by the NSW Governor.
The new Commissioner will advocate for the rights of victim-survivors of crime and drive reforms to improve their experience of the justice system, delivering on a Minns Labor Government election commitment.
The Commissioner will work to improve the experience of victim-survivors by identifying systemic issues in the justice system and advocate for reforms that deliver better outcomes.
This will include, promoting consistent treatment of victims through the Charter of Victims' Rights and identifying areas where government agencies can work together more effectively and improve practices.
The Commissioner will also be responsible for establishing a new complaints handling framework which will provide certainty to victims of crime about how complaints will be managed.
The framework will empower the Commissioner to resolve complaints through practical actions, including recommending agencies apologise to complainants or review policies and procedures.
Ms Damkar will be appointed for a five year term from 30 July 2026, and brings extensive public sector experience supporting victim-survivors and communities through major crises.
She has coordinated government recovery efforts, community support and engagement following tragedies including the Greta bus crash and the Bondi Junction attack, and has significant experience working with people affected by domestic and family violence.
Most recently, she served as Deputy Coordinator General for the NSW Government's response to the Bondi Beach terror attack in December.
In that role, she worked closely with victims to navigate support services and ensure their experiences helped shape the NSW Government's response, including financial assistance packages.
She was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2023 in recognition for outstanding public service during the New South Wales 2019 - 2020 bushfires, COVID-19 pandemic and Northern Rivers floods.
Ms Damkar has served in various roles across the NSW Public Sector for over a decade, including the NSW Bushfire Recovery Taskforce, Resilience NSW and Transport for NSW.
The legislation to establish the role of the Victims of Crime Commissioner passed in October 2025, as the Minns Labor Government took the first step to fulfilling its election commitment to create the victim advocate role.
The Office of the Commissioner will sit within the NSW Premier's Department, while the Department of Communities and Justice will continue to administer the Victims Support Scheme and register for victims of forensic patients.
The new Independent Commissioner will:
- Operate independently.
- Advocate on behalf of victims of crime on a systemic level and oversee the Charter of Victims' Rights, which sets out how victims of crime should be treated.
- Have the power to request or require an individual or agency to produce information or documents related to an alleged breach of the Charter.
- Be able to prepare special reports for NSW Parliament on relevant matters, including the Charter of Victims' Rights, and enter information-sharing arrangements with public sector agencies.
- Be responsible for identifying, reviewing and conducting research into systemic issues faced by victims of crime, consulting with victims of crime and their supporters, and making recommendations for improvements.
The Commissioner will also appoint a new Victims Advisory Committee to replace the existing Victims Advisory Board.
The new committee will include representatives from the general community who have relevant knowledge of and experience in matters relating to victims of crime.
It will also include an Aboriginal representative, a person living with a disability, as well as representation from NSW Police, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Legal Aid and the Department of Communities and Justice.
The legislation, appointment and creation of the Office of the Victims of Crime Commissioner follows detailed and extensive consultation with key groups including victims' support bodies and justice agencies.
More information about the Victims of Crime Commissioner is available at nsw.gov.au/vocc
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:
"When someone becomes the victim of a crime, it turns their life upside down. At that moment, they deserve to know someone is in their corner, that they're being treated with respect, and that the system is working for them.
"For the first time, NSW will have an independent Victims of Crime Commissioner whose sole focus is to listen and advocate for victim-survivors and driving improvements across the justice system.
"Hannah Damkar has spent her career standing beside people during some of the hardest moments of their lives. She understands what victims go through, and I know she'll be a compassionate, determined and independent advocate for victim-survivors across NSW."
Acting Attorney General Kate Washington said:
"Ms Damkar's appointment as Victims of Crime Commissioner is a significant step to strengthen support and advocacy for victim-survivors.
"We have heard from victims of crime who have felt voiceless in systems that are meant to deliver them justice, so we've acted.
"Our new Victims of Crime Commissioner will give victims the voice they deserve."
Victims of Crime Commissioner Hannah Damkar said:
"It is an honour and huge responsibility to take on the inaugural role of the Independent Victims of Crime Commissioner in NSW.
"At its core, this office is about treating victims with dignity, compassion and respect, and working alongside victims to improve their experience of the justice system as a whole.
"I would like to recognise the many victims of crime across the state, particularly those who I have had the privilege to meet, and who have shared their stories openly and honestly.
"I look forward to continuing to engage with victims and services in my new advocate capacity, to ensure their views are heard by Government and contribute to meaningful change."
Homicide Victims Support Group Australia and Road Trauma Support Group Australia CEO Martha Jabour OAM said:
"The appointment of the New South Wales' inaugural Victims Commissioner Hannah Damkar, marks a historic and long overdue commitment to the rights, dignity, and voices of victims. Family members of homicide as with other victims of crime need someone in their corner when systemic issues let them down.
"For decades, families affected by homicide have not had a voice or somewhere that they can take their concerns independently for review and resolution.
"They have carried their grief while navigating systems never designed with their needs at the centre, the systems of the past has traumatised family members further.
"This Victims Commissioner will help ensure that victims are no longer an afterthought, but a priority protected, heard, respected and represented. It is a milestone that honours the courage of those who have suffered unimaginable loss, and for those in the Homicide Victims Support Group and the Road Trauma Support Groups in NSW who have called on our government for this appointment.
"We thank the Minns Government for listening and for appointing the best person for this position in Hannah Damkar who has always put victims of crime first at all times we have worked alongside her through unimaginable tragedies of the past four years."
Road Trauma Support Group NSW Deputy Chairman Duncan Wakes-Miller said:
"Crime steals control. Justice should help people reclaim it. For too long, the people most affected by crime have been outside the room while the justice system was being reshaped.
"This appointment opens the door to something better, because the people who have lived through the system are often the people best placed to improve it."
