Rights of victims

DESPITE the introduction of crime maps and other performance data, considerable progress still needs to be made before victims are placed at the heart of the criminal justice system – the promise Tony Blair made 15 years ago at the outset of his government.

By The Newsroom

Published 5th Jun 2012, 07:00 BST

If cases warrant a more serious investigation than the issuing of a crime number for insurance purposes, the victim is invariably the last person to be informed about any progress. That 58 per cent hold this view, according to the IPPR think-tank, shows that the police still have considerable progress to make to honour Mr Blair’s pledge. There is merit to the IPPR’s call for victims to be able to track police progress on the internet in the same way that they can monitor their bank balance or the delivery of a parcel.

Yet it still requires them retaining the ability to contact an investigating officer or beat bobby – effective dialogue between the police and the public is the key to solving crime – and this internet-first approach will only assist those with access to a computer.

Any new policy also needs to reach out to those people, especially senior citizens, who do not use a computer.

Tony Blair