AQW 21867/22-27
Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry
Tabled Date: 04/02/2025
Answered On Date: 10/02/2025
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Justice to detail (i) any measures in place to ensure victims of sexual violence and abuse are supported throughout the court process; (ii) the number of victims that have availed of such services in the last five years; and (iii) any measures her Department has taken to promote such services.
Answer:
Sexual violence and abuse in any form is entirely unacceptable, and my Department is fully committed to collaborating with a range of other departments, agencies, local partnerships, and specialist organisations in the voluntary and community sector to support victims. Last September, the Health Minister and I jointly launched the new Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy. One of the key components of this strategy is the Support and Provision Pillar, which focuses on assisting those impacted by domestic and/or sexual abuse, including addressing the broader effects on family and friends. This pillar emphasises understanding and accommodating the diverse needs of victims, ensuring services are victim-centred with an aim to provide tailored, responsive, and specialised support to help all victims recover and rebuild their lives. Other initiatives, services and measures to support victims of sexual crime include: Supporting victim support services My Department annually provides over one million pounds to the Victim Support NI Witness Service and the NSPCC Young Witness Service to ensure that all prosecution witnesses and victims (including victims of sexual violence and abuse) attending court are offered emotional support and practical information. This includes a chance to visit the court before giving evidence, explaining the court process, accompanying the victim or witness into the courtroom or live link room, and offering the opportunity to talk when the case has ended. The number of victims and witnesses supported over the past five years is set out below (please note, figures are for all crimes, not just offences of a sexual nature). | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | Total | Victim Support NI Witness Service | 5,201 | 1,751 | 4,086 | 4,332 | 4,258 | 19,628 | NSPCC Young Witness Service | 480 | 206 | 443 | 412 | 348 | 1,889 | Totals | 5,681 | 1,957 | 4,529 | 4,744 | 4,606 | 21,517 |
From July 2023, my Department has provided funding of around £46K per annum to Victim Support NI for the continued delivery of the Children and Young People’s Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ChISVA) service. ‘ChISVAs’ work closely with the PSNI, The Rowan (Sexual Assault Referral Centre), PPS, NSPCC Young Witness Service and other relevant organisations to provide advocacy and support to children and young people and their families who have been victims of sexual violence, including child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation. From July 2023 to March 2024, 265 victims were supported by the ChISVA service. Victim Support NI and the NSPCC promote their services on their website, on social media and through posters and leaflets in suitable locations such as police stations and courthouses. The Department raises awareness of these services through NI Direct, the Victims of Crime leaflet, the Victim and Witness Charters and other relevant departmental publications. Advocacy Services My Department contracted a new advocacy service for victims of domestic and sexual abuse in September 2021. The contract was awarded to ASSIST NI who work with criminal justice organisations and other victim support services to advocate on victims’ behalf, tailoring their service to each victim’s individual needs. Since September 2021, ASSIST NI has offered support and guidance to 5,030 victims. ASSIST NI is a Northern Ireland-wide service with staff located in police stations across the region, as well as the Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre. They work closely with the PSNI to ensure victims are aware of their services and they promote their services on their website, on social media and through posters and leaflets in suitable locations. The Department raises awareness of ASSIST NI through NI Direct, the Victims of Crime leaflet, the Victim and Witness Charters and other relevant departmental publications. Special Measures Pursuant to Article 5 (5)(c) of The Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1999, victims of sexual offences are eligible to apply for Special Measures. Special Measures are a series of provisions that help vulnerable and intimidated witnesses give their best evidence in court and help to relieve some of the stresses associated with giving evidence. They include: Screens to shield the witness from the defendant. Live link facilities enable the witness to give evidence during the trial from outside the court through a televised link to the court room. The witness may be accommodated either within the court building or in a suitable location outside the court, such as a Remote Evidence Centre. The removal of wigs and gowns by judges and barristers. Video recorded evidence which allows the video recorded evidence of a witness to be played in court as the evidence in chief. A Registered Intermediary can be used to facilitate better communication between a witness and those asking questions of them. A Registered Intermediary can be involved during an ABE interview or during a court hearing. A Registered Intermediary can only be applied for where there is evidence to suggest that the victim has a communication difficulty. Since the scheme launched in May 2013, almost 10,000 people have benefitted from assistance from an RI, we know from statistics that on average, 40% of cases with RI support relate to sexual offences. Use of the service is growing annually and figures for the 5 previous years are set out below. | 2017/18 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Total | 705 | 868 | 1,155 | 1,249 | 1,264 |
Gillen Review Implementation Programme Measures introduced through the Gillen Review implementation programme are helping to support victims of sexual offences and to raise their confidence in the justice system. These include: Remote Evidence Centres (RECs) RECs have been established in Belfast and Craigavon, in addition to the existing NSPCC-led facility in Derry/Londonderry. RECs allow vulnerable witnesses to give their best evidence from a secure and comfortable location and importantly, they help reduce the risk of re-traumatisation by removing the possibility that victims might encounter the defendant or their supporters in or around the courthouse on the day of the trial. All witnesses attending a REC are supported by VSNI Witness Support Service (for adults) or the NSPCC Young Witness Service (for children). Feedback from those who have used a REC has been overwhelmingly positive, with many saying that without it, they would not have been able to give evidence or continue with their case. The overall conviction rate for REC cases is also encouraging, with 91% of cases completed in 2024 resulting in a conviction, 62% by guilty plea without the need for the victim to give oral evidence. The new Belfast REC was operationally ready from 9 May 2023 and was officially opened by the Lady Chief Justice on 28 September 2023. In 2023, there were a total of 33 trial bookings for the Belfast and Craigavon RECs, in 2024, there were 224. In 2023, 41 witnesses attended a REC to give evidence, in 2024, that figure was 344. This increase is, in part, due to a concerted effort by my Department to raise awareness and promote the benefits of remote evidence facilities. This work has included over 60 promotional guided tours for those who support and have direct access to victims. The tours highlight the exceptional standard of the REC and potential benefits for victims. Other work includes the creation of social media videos to highlight REC facilities and additional information added to partner websites (PSNI, PPS, Victim Support groups) and to NI Direct. Sexual Offences Legal Adviser (SOLA) Scheme My Department launched the Sexual Offences Legal Adviser (SOLA) service in April 2021. The scheme provides free, independent legal advice to adult complainants in serious sexual offence cases. Feedback from service users has been overwhelmingly positive – noting that it has increased their confidence in the criminal justice system, improved their understanding of how the system works and proved instrumental for many in their decision to remain in the system until the conclusion of their case. An equivalent service to provide free legal advice to child victims and their families launched on 5 February 2025. To date, 1,934 individuals have engaged with the scheme and have been assisted by a SOLA. Promotion of the service is part of the funding agreement between the Department and Victim Support NI. This is done via SOLA in-person outreach at universities, GP surgeries and community events such as the Balmoral Show, as well as advertisements on billboards, radio, social media, posters in and on buses and notices in local publications such as Parish bulletins and NI Young Farmers’ magazines. My Department also includes information on SOLAs in relevant media briefings and shares posts on its social media channels. In addition, I officially launched the Children’s SOLA service on 5 February and the Department publicised the launch on social media and engaged with the local broadcast media to raise awareness of both the new children’s service, and the existing adult equivalent. The NI Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Act 2022 The introduction of several Gillen reforms in The NI Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) Act 2022 including the exclusion of the public from court in serious sexual offence trials and the extension of existing lifelong anonymity for victims until 25 years after death provides addition protection and support for victims. Other work under the Gillen programme aimed at supporting victims at other stages of the criminal justice process, includes improvements to Achieving Best Evidence (ABE) and Disclosure procedures, improved trauma-informed training for criminal justice staff and the legal profession who have direct contact with victims, the Under 13 Protocol which aims to expedite cases involving young victims and changes to committal legislation aimed reducing delay. The Victim Charter The Victim Charter sets out entitlements for all victims, including victims of sexual offences, to access to information, services and support. Key rights under the Charter include the right to be treated with dignity and respect; to be understood and to understand what is happening; to be told about available support; be provided with all the information they need and be given an opportunity for concerns to be addressed. My Department operates an ongoing programme of awareness raising for the Charter. This has included in-person awareness sessions delivered to various groups and a multi-media advertising campaign in 2024. I will continue to ensure my Department takes steps to support all victims of sexual crime.
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