Commissioner visits Northamptonshire to meet victims and witnesses of crime

Baroness Helen Newlove is the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales and was appointed in March 2013. Her role is to promote the interests of victims and witnesses; encourage good practice in the treatment of victims and witnesses; and keep under review the operation of the Code of Practice for Victims.

During her trip she met with the Police and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold, Chief Constable Simon Edens, and spoke directly with victims and witnesses of crime, to hear first-hand about their experiences and the support they receive from Voice - the free, confidential service commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner to support victims and witnesses in the county.

Baroness Newlove said: “It is so important that victims and their families receive the emotional support they need and have access to information to help them through their criminal justice journey. The opportunity for me to visit services and hear people’s experiences face to face is essential - and will ultimately lead to improving services for victims and witnesses.

“This visit enabled me to spend time with Voice: children and young people service, speaking to young people and listening to their heart breaking stories of being bullied, intimidated and assaulted.

"It was so humbling to learn about the therapeutic methods they were being given to empower them, and how the service also supports parents throughout all of this."

The visit gave her the opportunity to see how the county is delivering victim services, how Northamptonshire is addressing the needs and requirements of the victims in our region, and how the services will develop and evolve to continue to meet the needs of these victims.

On Thurday, June 22, the Baroness also met with a victim of child sexual exploitation where she spoke with a youngster who shared their story and discussed the support they are receiving from the RISE team – which is a multi-agency team specialising in reducing incidents of sexual exploitation.

Police and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold said: “I am determined that the services we offer to victims and witnesses of crime are seamless and can meet the different needs of communities across our county.

"It is vital that every victim is provided with the support they need to cope, recover and thrive. We are pleased that Baroness Newlove came to hear about the work we are doing here in Northamptonshire.”