Work with victims
If you, or someone close to you, has been a victim of a sexual or violent offence, we will contact you to offer you an appointment at your home or some other convenient place. Our Victim Liaison Officer will check to see if you have any special needs, for example you may wish to use an interpreter or may prefer to be accompanied by a friend. We normally contact victims within eight weeks of an offender being sentenced but if you need to speak to us earlier than this please ring and ask to be put in touch with our Victim Liaison Officer.
It is important to stress that you only need to use our victim contact service if you want to and you may change your mind about having contact with a victim liaison officer at any point.
What to expect
The liaison officer will:
- Check if you have any concerns about the offenders behaviour towards you.
- Explain what happens to any information you choose to tell us.
- Provide information about the criminal justice process and way prisons and secure hostels operate.
- Explain the offender's sentence and how decisions will be made about how long he or she will stay in prison or at a hostel.
- Ask if you would like to be kept informed about developments during the offender's sentence. For example when a prisoner is moved to a different category prison.
- Provide information about useful local services.
- Explain how you can express your views about the conditions placed on an offender.
- Let you know when the offender is due for release and any conditions that may relate to you.
- Keep in touch with you while the offender is supervised in the community.
Useful contacts:
Cambridgeshire Probation Service - Contact us
First point of call for assistance.
Prison Service Victim Helpline - 0845 7585 112
Ring this number if you are concerned about unwanted contact from a prisoner.
Victim Support - 0845 3030 9000
This is a national charity for people affected by crime. It is an independent organisation and offers free and confidential help and advice.
Victim Support Cambridgeshire
4 Market Hill
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire PE29 3NJ
Tel: 01480 453 000
Fax: 01480 453 000
Email: info@victimsupportcambridgeshire.org.uk
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