Victims of crime are often described as being at the centre of the criminal justice system, yet many continue to report experiences of frustration, exclusion, delay, and emotional exhaustion throughout the legal process.
Victims of crime are often described as being at the centre of the criminal justice system, yet many continue to report experiences of frustration, exclusion, delay, and emotional exhaustion throughout the legal process. In England and Wales, the Victims' Code sets out a range of entitlements for victims, including the right to receive information, to be treated with dignity and respect, to make a Victim Personal Statement, to access support services, and to be informed about significant developments in a case. In practice, however, compliance with these rights has frequently been criticised as inconsistent, with victims’ organisations and oversight bodies repeatedly identifying gaps between legal entitlement and operational reality.
For many victims, the criminal justice process itself becomes a source of additional stress and trauma. Investigations can take months or years to conclude. Court proceedings are frequently delayed or rescheduled. Victims may be required to repeat deeply distressing experiences multiple times through statements, interviews, disclosure procedures, and cross-examination. Communication regarding charging decisions, plea agreements, bail conditions, or case progression is not always clear or timely. By the conclusion of proceedings, some victims report feeling emotionally exhausted by the process itself, regardless of the legal outcome.
Certain groups of victims face particularly complex challenges. Victims of domestic abuse, coercive control, stalking, sexual violence, trafficking, exploitation, and honour-based abuse often navigate systems that historically struggled to recognise patterns of manipulation, fear, dependency, and psychological control. Legislative developments including the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and the introduction of offences such as coercive and controlling behaviour and non-fatal strangulation have strengthened legal recognition of these harms. At the same time, significant concerns remain regarding investigation quality, conviction rates, access to safe accommodation, delays within the courts, and the long-term support available to survivors.
Families bereaved through serious violence, including knife crime and homicide, often experience a criminal justice process that they were never prepared to navigate. Alongside grief and trauma, they may encounter complex legal procedures, media attention, parole processes, appeals, sentencing hearings, and long periods of uncertainty. Victims of modern slavery, trafficking, and child exploitation can face additional barriers linked to fear, immigration concerns, trauma, distrust of authorities, or ongoing coercion by those responsible for their exploitation.
Awareness of victim support mechanisms also remains uneven. The Silent Solution system — allowing callers to indicate an emergency during a 999 call when speaking openly may not be safe — remains unfamiliar to many people who could potentially benefit from it. Similarly, public understanding of processes such as the Victim Contact Scheme, Victim Personal Statements, special measures within court proceedings, and rights relating to parole or unduly lenient sentence referrals is often limited despite their importance within the wider justice process.
The experience of victims and survivors raises wider questions about what justice is intended to achieve. Criminal convictions and sentencing outcomes are important aspects of accountability, but they do not always address the emotional, psychological, financial, or practical consequences of harm. Many victims require long-term support extending beyond the conclusion of legal proceedings, including counselling, safeguarding, advocacy, housing assistance, financial support, and trauma-informed services.
A justice system is ultimately judged not only by how it punishes offenders, but by how effectively it protects, informs, and supports those harmed by crime. Where victims feel ignored, retraumatised, or excluded from processes intended to deliver justice, public confidence weakens accordingly. Effective victim support therefore remains central not only to fairness and accountability, but to the wider credibility of the criminal justice system itself.