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London’s first Victims Commissioner appointed to strengthen victims’ rights (16 June 2017)

Date: 16/06/2017
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, London’s first Victims Commissioner appointed to strengthen victims’ rights

The founder of campaign group Voice4Victims, Clare Waxman, has been appointed as London’s first Victims Commissioner by London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Voice4Victims was set up in 2013 to strengthen victims’ rights, by improving legislation and policies.

The London Victims Commissioner will provide survivors with a voice, ensuring that their needs are met by services in the capital, said the London Assembly in a statement – and will help “dramatically improve” the experience of victims of crime in the capital, together with a three-year, £47 million investment in services to better support victims of crime in London.

Claire Waxman was a victim of crime for 12 years, during which time she founded campaign group Voice4Victims to fight for improved legislation and support for victims.

She takes up the post – one of the Mayor’s manifesto commitments – following a nationwide search.

Working with victims, central government, the Met Police, Crown Prosecution Service and the Ministry of Justice, the London Assembly said that Ms Waxman would act on victims’ behalf, ensure their voices are heard and develop ways to improve their experience of the criminal justice system and ability to recover.

In 2016, there were 734,190 victims of crime in London recorded by the Met Police, but only 10% of those referred for further support took up the offer.

Around half of criminal trials are classed as ineffective due to the victim or witness not attending or withdrawing from the process.

The London Mayor has now placed improving support for victims at the core of his police and crime plan, with the aim of increasing the number of effective trials and bringing more criminals to justice.

The Mayor’s investment of £47m into victims’ services across the capital over three years marks a £6m increase in the budget allocated to these services in the previous Police and Crime Plan.

For the first time, this funding – previously provided on an annual basis – has been allocated for three years to provide longer-term support.

Investment over the rest of Sadiq Khan’s mayoral term will help improve current work and commission new services, including work to develop a collaborative, one-service approach, which removes the need for a victim to deal with a confusing number of different agencies.

This approach will bring together the capital’s existing victim and witness services to provide victims with a dedicated caseworker, who will offer consistent guidance, information and advocacy.

There will also be a new service for young Londoners responding to changing needs, including knife crime and child sexual exploitation – as well as improved support for victims of fraud and cyber crime.

Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs) will help keep victims safe from harm – and MOPAC’s hate crime victim advocates scheme will also be continued.

Claire Waxman will help develop the projects receiving this funding, as well as reviewing current services.

Sadiq Khan said:

“Crime can have a profound and lasting impact on victims, and it is essential that they are able to access the right support to help them recover.

“As London’s first Victims Commissioner, Claire Waxman will stand up for survivors of crime across the capital, making sure their voices are heard and that their needs are at the heart of our policing and criminal services.

“By investing in these services, we can help ensure victims have faith and confidence in our criminal justice system – and that they get the support they need to move on.”


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