Government will work with children to create the first ever child-friendly version of the Victims' Code
- New Victims' Code to ensure child victims are better supported by the justice system
- Government will work with children to make the first ever child-friendly version of the Victims' Code
- Strengthened code will help every victim get swifter justice - vital to Government's Plan for Change
Child victims will be better supported to understand their rights as a victim of crime and, more crucially, where to get the help they need to recover under plans for a new and improved Victims' Code unveiled today (5 February).
Many children and young people don't know where to turn following crimes such as domestic abuse and sexual violence - lost in the complexities of the criminal justice system.
To make this known and clear, the Government will work with young people and experts to develop the first-of-its-kind child-friendly version of the Victims' Code. This will set out in age-appropriate language a child's rights as a victim of crime - including the right to be referred or self-refer to support services.
Proposals in the new Victims' Code include more direct contact with police and probation officers alongside parents for those aged 12 and up, granting them the dignity and autonomy they deserve as survivors of crime, and a stronger feeling of safety going through the justice system.
From the point of reporting all the way through to trial and beyond, a better Victims' Code will encourage all victims to see their case through, knowing the government stands firmly on their side.
The Government is going further still to make sure all victims know about their rights through the Understand your Rights campaign which will reach across England and Wales to show that the Victims' Code is there for every victim, whatever the crime.
Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, said:
Navigating the justice system can be a challenge for many, but for children - a matrix! I'm incredibly proud of the changes to the Victims' Code we're exploring hand-in-hand with the people who will need it most.
It's unthinkable that an innocent and vulnerable child would ever need the criminal justice system, but it's a reality we can't ignore. Through the revisions we're proposing, children will be the drivers on their journey to justice."
More widely, proposed improvements to the Victims' Code for all victims include new fundamental principles and training for agencies across the justice system to deliver a higher standard of communication with victims.
Compliance with the Victims' Code is enshrined in law. When commenced, the strengthened powers of the Victims' Commissioner will hold agencies to account should they fall short of the Code's standards without good reason.
Strengthening the Victims' Code was one of the Government's manifesto commitments.
Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, said:
Too many children tell me the justice system can be bewildering or even traumatising. Child victims need to know their rights, to be listened to, to be treated with dignity and care, and to get the support they are entitled to. This updated Victims' Code sets out these rights much more clearly and provides a strong set of principles for the professionals who interact with child victims to follow, recognising they have different needs and different circumstances to adults.
I hope this will drive important change to make sure those rights are realised in practice. I look forward to working closely with Ministers to make sure as many children as possible are heard from during this consultation, to make sure their experiences are reflected, their choices recognised and that this Code works for them.
The Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman OBE, said:
The Victims' Code sets out the fundamental rights everyone is entitled to after a crime. These rights are not optional; they are vital for a victim's participation in the justice system. Yet, inconsistent delivery means too many still feel sidelined by the justice process.
This consultation is a vital opportunity to bridge that gap and rebuild the trust and confidence that is so urgently needed. I am committed to ensuring victims' voices shape this work so we can put their experience at the heart of the justice system, and ensure agencies are held to account for delivering the timely information and support that victims deserve.
Today's news follows a series of key interventions designed to protect women and children from violence and abuse.
These include the launch of the Government's landmark VAWG Strategy to tackle violence against women and girls, and the decision to repeal the presumption of parental involvement to focus family court proceedings squarely on children's safety.
Ministers have also committed to review the 'National Protocol' guidelines to stop the criminalisation of children in care and remove parental responsibility from people who have been convicted of a serious sexual offence against any child, and where a child is born of rape.
