Victim Support NI and NSPCC Northern Ireland launch video to support young victims and witnesses of crime

NSPCC Northern Ireland’s Young Witness Service and Victim Support NI have today launched a joint video to help guide children and young people through the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland.

The animated video uses child-friendly language and Bitmoji characters to travel through the justice system, highlighting the investigation process and what to expect when going to court and support and information available to families. The video acknowledges that the court process may be a new and daunting environment and aims to demystify this by providing clear information and reassurance.

The video highlights key elements of the Victim Charter, which ensures children and their families or guardians are aware of their rights and entitlements through every stage of the court process, giving them a better understanding of, and confidence in, the justice system. The charities want to make it clear that families have the right to challenge when they are not receiving the right support, with Victim Support NI and NSPCC Northern Ireland there to advocate for them if needed.

It is hoped that the video will be an easy-to-understand tool to help young people and their families navigate their way through a potentially stressful experience, giving them more confidence in the system and the agencies there to support them.

Bronagh Muldoon, Head of Local Services at NSPCC Northern Ireland, said: “We are delighted to be launching this video today, together with Victim Support NI.  We have seen, through our work, the stresses that the criminal justice process can put on children and their families. In many cases, there are lengthy delays and often inadequate facilities. These factors combined with the daunting prospect of being in court, can place a huge pressure on young people and their families. We want people to be aware of the charter and their rights, ensuring they know what every agency or service they come across must do to support every family.

“We have put children right at the heart of this video and hope it will reassure and inform children of their rights and entitlements, as well as letting them know we are there to advocate on their behalf as they move through the system. This will hopefully help to alleviate the inevitable anxiety of the whole process.”

Jolena Flett, Head of Advocacy and New Projects at Victim Support NI, said: “We are delighted to be part of this project. It is so important for children and young people to understand their rights in a process that so often happens to them and not with them.

“The animation is an excellent tool to help this understanding and we hope will help children and young people to be confident they have support after experiencing crime.”

Justice Minister, Naomi Long, said: “This is a brilliant new video which will be a very valuable asset in helping children and young people to understand their rights under the Victim Charter.  It is important that the Charter is accessible to everyone and this video helps to explain the rights that everyone can expect and the process through the criminal justice system in a child friendly and engaging manner.”

Victim Support NI is the leading independent charity providing support to victims and witnesses of crime in Northern Ireland.  Established in 1981, the charity offers support to victims of all types of crime shortly after the crime occurs, and have specialist advocacy services to assist victims of hate crime, sexual violence, and trauma.  Victim Support NI also offers a free advice service to help those who have been injured as a result of crime to apply for criminal injuries compensation.  If a case reaches court, the Witness Service is available in all criminal courts in Northern Ireland to support adult witnesses and their families.

The NSPCC’s Young Witness Service was set up in 1999, is based in Northern Ireland and is the only one of its kind in the UK.  It was created specifically to support children and young people, under 18 years of age, who need to attend court to give evidence and operates in every local crown, magistrates’ and youth court in Northern Ireland.  The work carried out by Young Witness Service over the years has shown there is a real need for clear and concise information tailored to the needs of child witnesses and produced in a way they can understand.

The video can be accessed at https://youtu.be/S_pSHS0zrPs

Both NSPCC Northern Ireland Young Witness Service and Victim Support NI need more volunteers to help them provide vital support to families going through the criminal justice process. For more information on the roles and how you can apply visit Victim Support NI at  https://www.victimsupportni.com/volunteer/ or the NSPCC at https://www.nspcc.org.uk/support-us/volunteering-nspcc-childline/volunteer-young-witness-service/