| All Youth Offending Services are required to provide services to the victims of crimes committed by young people. Manchester Youth Offending Service wants to do all we can in order to help you come to terms with any distress you may have suffered.
Victims and Restorative Justice (RJ)
The Restorative Justice Team, Victim Liaison Workers invite victims to get involved in the criminal justice processes related to the young offender. Research shows that victim involvement can be extremely effective in:
- Reducing the fear of victims, especially of the re-victimisation by the same offender
- Reducing the likelihood of young people reoffending
- Reducing the impact on the community and increasing community confidence
What support or involvement is available for victims?
There are a number of different ways victims can get involved. A victim might:
- Attend a youth offender panel. The Victim Liaison Worker, will contact victims to explain the Referral Order process, invite them to a Youth Offender Panel and outline the options available to them. Victims might chose:
- To attend the meeting, discuss the impact of the offence and put forward suggestions for reparation.
- To request that the Victim Liaison Officer attends on their behalf to put forward their views.
- To provide a written/video-taped statement to be produced at the panel.
- Not to attend the meeting, but request feedback on the contents of the agreement between the young person and the Community Panel Members.
- Take part in victim-offender mediation. If a victim wishes, the Victim Liaison Worker can try to arrange for you to talk with the young person and their parent or carer. This would take place at a meeting supervised and carefully controlled by trained people. The meeting can give victims the chance to ask the offender, directly or through someone else, any questions that might have been worrying them.
- Receive a letter of apology or filmed apology from the young offender. Via the Victim Liaison Worker victims may wish to receive a written letter of apology or to view a film of the young person apologising. The process will be undertaken within the YOS – where victims wish a written apology, the letter will not have been sent directly to the victim by the offender.
- Direct or Indirect Reparation. Victims may prefer not to be directly involved in the process but to express their view as to how the young offender makes amends. This is likely to be either by carrying out some practical jobs on your behalf or for the community under the supervision of the Restorative Justice Team Reparation Workers.
- Keep you informed. Victims may wish not to be involved at all but to be informed regarding the various stages of the criminal justice system regarding the young person who committed the offence. The Victim Liaison Worker can communicate with the various YOS and Probation Workers involved with the young offender to inform of his or her progress.
- Victim Support. The Restorative Justice Team can contact your nearest Victim Support service on your behalf.
The activities we’ve described are just some examples of what could take place, but our Victim Liaison Worker will be happy to explore the full range of possible options with you. If you are the victim of a crime by a young person from Manchester and would like to discuss the options further please contact either:
john.grimshaw@manchester.gov.uk
sue.deagan@manchester.gov.uk
or telephone on: 0161 227 3495 |
