IN the five years from 2011 to 2015, over 7,600 individual victims of crime, 37% of whom were victims of burglary, have reached out for help from the Federation for Victim Assistance.
The number of victims coming forward may increase following the launch of a new confidential FREEPHONE number 1800 277 477 which has been established to provide free and easy access to Victim Assistance services for all victims of crime.
Speaking at the launch at Buswells Hotel, Dublin, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: “I wish to commend the Federation for Victim Assistance launching this FREEPHONE number. It sends a clear message to victims around the country that there is someone at the other end of the line during what can be a traumatic and painful period for them. Earlier this week, the Tanaiste and Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald, advised that additional funding of €250,000 is being made available to the Victims of Crime Office in 2017, bringing their total funding for 2017 to €1.71 million. The Victims of Crime Office is currently inviting applications for funding for 2017 for the provision of services or assistance to victims of crime, such as the freephone number launched today. This freephone number is about making improvements in service delivery to the victims of crime and I am sure the volunteers running the Federation’s services will bring some comfort to victims and strenghtening their resilience.”
Becoming a victim of crime can be extremely traumatic and may leave a person unable to function or cope as normal and a trouble-free early access to local support is a key contributory factor in recovering from the trauma of crime.
The Chairman of Victim Assistance, Michael Bennett, said: “The Victim will always come first with us and is at the heart of everything that we do. Victims constantly say that talking about the trauma helps them to cope, but the reality is that only a fraction of people who become victims of crime access support services. Recent feedback from some of the victims we have dealt with suggests that there is reluctance, particularly among elderly people, to incurring the cost of making calls particularly to mobile numbers. The FREEPHONE 1800 277 477 number is a way of reducing the cost while also meeting the huge demand that exists for our services.”
The 9,540 contacts from Victim Assistance to victims in a five year period consist of visits, phone calls and letters to victims. These visits are always conducted by two of our members together.
The largest category of callers by crime type is burglary at 37% or 2748 individuals with assistance also provided to 475 victims of Assault (6.25%), 360 victims of Robbery, including Armed Robbery (4.5%) and 27% of the victims dealt with fall into a general enquiry/other category.
This category includes requests for information on the workings of the Courts, Victim Impact Statements, Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), An Garda Síochána, Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme and other facets of the Criminal Justice system.
Anyone who needs to call the new FREEPHONE number 1800 277 477 will be invited to leave their name, telephone number, county they are ringing from and the best time to make contact.
They will receive a call back from one of our experienced local Coordinators who will listen to the Victim’s story and together, they can decide an appropriate course of action which may vary from case to case and from person to person.
“A number of factors including the severity of the crime, the victim’s ability to cope and the support systems available may determine the appropriate course of action, while all times the Victim retains control over how their case progresses,” said Michael Bennett, Chairperson of Victim Assistance.
For more information about Victim Assistance, contact FEDVA@eircom.net, phone 066 7119830 or contact the new FREEPHONE number 1800 277 477.
