Naomi Long

Launching the ‘Justice is Changing’ campaign, Ms Long said it demonstrates a commitment by the Department of Justice to deliver for victims across Northern Ireland.

The campaign aims to highlight the services introduced by the department to support victims of sexual abuse; many of which were developed in response to the Gillen Review, an independent review of the handling of serious sexual offence cases within the Northern Ireland justice system.

Ms Long said: “Victims of sexual crime told the Gillen Review that the justice process could often exacerbate their trauma; particularly through unnecessary delays, invasions of privacy, and a lack of timely support and information.

“We have listened to these concerns and directly addressed them through a range of new measures.

“I hope this campaign raises public awareness of the services that are now available and that it will encourage victims to come forward and report these crimes and to remain within the justice system until their case concludes”.

The services introduced by the department and its partners include:

• Establishing new Remote Evidence Centres (RECs) in Belfast and Craigavon alongside the existing NSPCC-led facility in Derry/Londonderry that allow victims to give evidence in a safe, specially designed environment away from the courthouse and where there is no chance they will meet the defendant on the day of the trial. In 2025, over 600 vulnerable witnesses gave evidence from a REC. The conviction rate in REC cases stands consistently at around 90 per cent;
• The Adult Sexual Offences Legal Advisor (SOLA) scheme provides publicly funded legal advice to adult complainants in serious sexual offence cases, with over 2,200 people benefitting from the scheme since its launch in 2021. The service has since been extended to children, with more than 400 child victims benefiting from support provided by a CSOLA since its launch in 2025;
• The Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking Victims) NI Act 2022 introduced stronger anonymity protection for victims, increased penalties for breaches of anonymity laws, and allowed for the exclusion of the public from courtrooms during serious sexual offence trials;
• The Rape Myths = Real Harm social media campaign has worked to dispel misinformation about sexual crimes;
• Committal reform has removed the requirement for victims of sexual offences to give oral evidence at two separate hearings; reducing delay and reducing the burden on victims;
• The judge-led Under 13/16 Protocol is also reducing delay in sexual offence cases involving young children; and,
• The Belfast Domestic Abuse Contest Court was set up to put victims of domestic and sexual abuse first. All complainants give evidence from the Belfast Remote Evidence Centre with specialist prosecutors and support services. The Court starts at 11am so people can attend to family commitments first. The conviction rate is consistently around 90 per cent.

Ms Long continued: “We have made good progress but I’m determined to keep going and build on the measures already in place.

“We are working towards the introduction of a Barnahus type model to Northern Ireland; the creation of guidance for the media in relation to the reporting of rape and other sexual crimes and the introduction of new measures in the Victims & Witnesses Bill, introduced to the assembly in June, that will further protect the disclosure of complainants’ personal information, including counselling notes and medical records.

“Sexual assault is one of the most heinous and violating crimes, and it can have a devastating and lasting impact on victims. As justice minister, I will do all I can to ensure that the justice system does not exacerbate that trauma.”

The ‘Justice is Changing’ campaign will run across the department’s social media channels. Full details of the changes made by the department as part of the Gillen implementation programme can be found at: Gillen Review Report into the law and procedures in serious sexual offences in NI | Department of Justice.