Naomi Long

The vision of the draft Victims and Witnesses of Crime Strategy 2025-2030 is to increase confidence in the justice system by empowering and supporting all victims and witnesses with a trauma informed approach.

The strategy’s mission statement is that this will be achieved by “providing victims and witnesses, including children, young people and vulnerable users, with tailored support and effective communication, in a transparent, rights compliant way”.

A public consultation is now running until 27 July 2025 with a view to publishing the final strategy later this year.

“Figures from the PSNI show there were over 69,000 victims of recorded crime in Northern Ireland in 2023–24 which demonstrate why this draft strategy is so important,” justice minister Naomi Long said.

“As the strategy states, anyone can become a victim of, or witness to crime, regardless of sex, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background.

“Engaging with the criminal justice system can often be daunting, disorientating and, at times, traumatic for victims and witnesses.

“This draft strategy aims to ensure victims and witnesses are aware of their rights and are fully informed throughout their journey and that services are tailored and responsive.

“It also seeks to make provisions to meet the needs of all victims and witnesses, including those in minority or marginalised groups and with particular reference to children and young people.”

The draft strategy contains five pillars: support; communication and information; transparency and participation; rights and confidence in justice; children and young people.

It builds upon the groundwork laid by the previous victims and witnesses strategy and has been informed by the responses to a recent call for views exercise.