Government strengthens support for child victims

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. Today the Labour Government has announced plans for a new Victims’ Code which will provide better support to child victims in Blackpool to understand their rights and how to get the help they need to recover.

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. Now, as well as strengthening the code for all victims, the Government is working with young people and experts to develop the first ever child-friendly version of the code, setting 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.

Through my previous work as deputy Police and Crime Commissioner, and my casework as MP, I know that young people in Blackpool have encountered difficulties in reporting crimes, seeking justice and in obtaining the appropriate support. This new code is intended to give victims in Blackpool and beyond fuller confidence in our Criminal Justice System and support them in claiming the rights they are due.

Proposals in the new 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. From reporting all the way through to trial and beyond, a stronger code will encourage all victims to see their cases through, knowing that the Government is on their side. Proposed improvements to the code for all victims include new fundamental principles and training for agencies across the justice system to deliver a higher standard of communication. Compliance with the Victims’ Code is enshrined in law and the strengthened powers of the Victims’ Commissioner will hold agencies to account.

The move 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.

I strongly welcome these plans and look forward to working with local stakeholders and Government colleagues to make sure that we get this right.