Data protection act lowers victim support, says Victim Support Scotland
A SCOTTISH charity say that new legislation has resulted in fewer victims of crime being referred for support.
Victim Support Scotland (VSS) launched their new campaign as part of Victim Awareness Week in an effort to draw attention to victims’ rights to access support if they are affected by crime.
Since changes were made to data protection legislation back in 2018, the charity has experienced a 90% decline in service user referrals.
The unintended consequence of the legislation means that Police Scotland can no longer refer victims and witnesses to receive support that is readily available to them.
According to VSS, there is a substantial gap between the number of crimes recorded by Police Scotland and the number of people referred to the charity.
Last year, the total number of crimes recorded by Police Scotland reached almost 300,000 and yet a staggeringly low 10,000 people contacted VSS’ free helpline.
Kate Wallace, Chief Executive of Victim Support Scotland, said: “In Scotland, anyone affected by crime has a right to support and information, regardless of whether the crime was reported to the police or not.
“While not everyone affected by crime will want to exercise these rights, there is a gap between the number of crimes recorded and the number of people referred to and seeking support.
“By working closely with Police Scotland and directly with victims, we hope to raise more awareness of victims’ rights and reach more people in the year ahead.”
One of VSS’ service users who wishes to remain anonymous said: “I think that it’s good to have Victim Support Scotland available to anyone who needs it.
“I didn’t know about it before. It’s really good to know that there’s people out there that are willing to offer support.
“Sometimes all you need is somebody there to listen. 99% of the things that I’ve asked of the volunteer supporting me was information I didn’t have a clue about.
“I don’t know what I’d do without them, just to have that continuous support from VSS while other services have ended. It’s really good, especially for someone who doesn’t know where to go.”
Police Scotland Chief Superintendent, Faroque Hussain, added: “We understand how distressing it is when someone is a victim of crime, and we are here to support you.
“We will provide you with a victim care card which will include the name of the officer dealing with your case and information about your rights including access to support services. If you want us to refer you directly then we can do that.
“Depending on the circumstances of the crime we will consider your needs and try to ensure those needs are met, and if necessary, work with our relevant partner agencies.
“We would always encourage anyone who has been the victim of crime or who is a witness to crime, to seek the support of Victim Support Scotland.”
The charity has also spoken out about the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill which was introduced last year.
The bill, which aims to improve experiences of victims and witnesses within the Scottish justice system, has come up against some criticism.
Though some have claimed that it could ‘undermine the integrity of the criminal justice system’, VSS’ Kate Wallace said: “Based on our knowledge and expertise built on the experiences of people affected by crime, we believe this Bill is an opportunity to radically improve the way the justice system works for people affected by crime.
“It is important for people thinking about getting support from us to know will treat you with dignity and respect and ensure that you are part of the process that reforms our justice system.”
