The anonymous online survey, which should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete, is open to anyone aged 18 or over who, as an adult, has made an official complaint to An Garda Síochána as a direct victim of one or more of certain criminal offences.

The types of offences included in this project are theft, robbery, burglary, property damage (including arson), domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (including intimate image abuse, stalking and kidnapping/human trafficking), and assault and harassment (including attempts and threats of assault and harassment).

The research project, led by Triona Kenny, a PhD researcher in Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology, is seeking to establish the scale and nature of, and possible solutions to, “secondary victimisation” in the criminal justice system.

The project is supervised by Dr Ian Marder and Dr Avril Brandon and is funded by a Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology doctoral scholarship.

Questions, comments or concerns about the research can be directed to Ms Kenny on triona.kenny@mu.ie.

Victim Support at Court (V-SAC) is now a fully national service, and its volunteers provide support for victims of crime in every county of the Republic of Ireland. The official opening of V-SAC’s new office in Cork City completes this last phase of its national expansion.

Last year, V-SAC supported 2,717 people through criminal proceedings across the country, including murder, rape, domestic violence, assault, theft, among others. This represents an increase of 37% compared to 2022. Demand for the services and support of V-SAC has continued to increase in recent years and its volunteers have adapted and taken positive action to meet this need.

On 5^th September 2024, the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee formally launched V-SAC’s Strategic Plan 2025-2027 at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Cork City and officially opened V-SAC’s Cork Office, beside the courthouse. Click here for full details of the Strategic Plan.

The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said ‘I am delighted to officially open V-SACs new office in Cork today and to launch their Strategic Plan.’

‘Through court accompaniment, V-SAC offers people a professional and compassionate service during what can be a very difficult and unsettling time. V-SAC’s new office beside Cork Court House now means that across the country, victims of crime attending court, can avail of the support that V-SAC provides and have someone with them who they can turn to for assistance and guidance.’

‘V-SAC’s strategic plan reflects their continued and unwavering determination to support victims of crime and to contribute to making the justice system more compassionate and accessible for victims across the country. It is a powerful statement of their commitment and vision for the service they provide, and an endorsement of their determination that no one should face the legal system without guidance and compassion. I thank V-SAC for their important work, now and into the future.’

David Hickey, V-SAC Coordinator said ‘The location of Cork’s Office, beside the courthouse couldn’t be better and I’m looking forward to building our court-based support service in Cork and Munster. It means that all victims coming to court have access to support when they need it.’

Of the 2,717 people supported by V-SAC in 2023, 15 attended courts across Munster, however, an increasing number of people have sought accompaniment to court since then.  Now that the Central Criminal Court sits outside Dublin, it’s expected that more criminal trials in cities including Cork and Limerick will lead to a greater demand for V-SAC volunteers. The organisation is committed to providing a consistent level of support for victims of crime, regardless of their geographical location.

Dympna Kenny, V-SAC General Manager said ‘It is great to see V-SAC grow into a national service. V-SAC is reaching more and more people who are attending court and will continue to do so well into the future. As long as the need is there, V-SAC will ensure that victims, their families and prosecution witnesses are not alone and can navigate the courts with dignity and resilience.’

V-SAC has over 70 volunteers and in 2023 the volunteers gave 2,151 days of their time to support the 2,717 victims, their families and witnesses through the court process. Patrick Caldwell, V-SAC Volunteer said ‘I have supported victims and their struggles which many of them have carried in some cases from their childhood. I have watched victims shed tears over their days in court. I find it very rewarding to be with victims when they get closure on their struggle.’

V-SAC’s Patron, Prof. Marie Cassidy said ‘The justice system is a vast and complex machine. The vital role of V-SAC, guiding a path through it, at a time when people are at their most vulnerable, cannot be underestimated.’

This invaluable support will be vital in allowing Victim Support at Court to further its reach over the coming years and expand its ability to support victims, regardless of the court they are due to attend. If you are a victim of crime and would like our support, please email info@vsac.ie or phone 01-872-6785. Or if you are interested in joining our fantastic team of court accompaniment volunteers, please visit our website www.vsac.ie/volunteering-with-us .

RTÉ reporter, Evelyn O’Rourke, interviewed staff and volunteers from Victim Support at Court (V-SAC)  who explained the practical and emotional support they give to victims when they are due to attend court. Click here to listen to the feature on V-SAC (starting at 1:08:56).

It really highlights the support available to victims of all types of crime, if they want it, and support for the family/friends and witnesses when they come to court.

The feature included an introduction by V-SAC’s General Manager, Dympna Kenny, V-SAC Coordinators – Sara Murphy and Emily Healy – and one of its volunteers – Kevin.

If you would like to volunteer click the Volunteer button on our website to find out more about the role of a court accompaniment volunteer.

V-SAC’s website is a fantastic tool for sharing our project news, and what better way to do this than by joining in our INSPIRING COVIS MONDAYS. Despite our global beliefs, the concept of miserable Mondays should be ditched!

Together with COVIS project partners, we’ve compiled a fascinating editorial to share with you every Monday, during upcoming months. There are so many good vibes to choose from, they’re bound to put a smile on your face no matter what day of the week it is.
Visit the project web-page for more information:
https://lnkd.in/ezap6ecF

@brottsofferjourensverige @victim_support_at_court @apav_online @rikosuhripaivystys @offerraadgivning_hovedstaden
#COVISMONDAYS #SafeJustice #EUVictimsRights #ShapingVictimSupportTogether #VictimSupportEU #Project

On Thursday 30 March 2023,  Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell was in attendance for the launch of new easy-to-understand information on courts.ie.

To better understand the different elements of Family Law, people can now access Family Law information developed using plain language and displayed in an accessible and user-friendly way. This information in easy-to-understand language, gives people the wording to discuss legal processes, applications and resolution options with legal practitioners and professionals, as well as our staff in the Courts Service.

Click Family Law (courts.ie) for more information.

To prepare users before attending the Court, the new 360 Virtual Tours were also launched, and they allow people to experience the look and feel of the Courts in advance. This can reduce anxiety for many Court visitors. The 360 Virtual Tours demonstrate what to expect both outside and inside the building. So, by the time a person arrives in Court they are better prepared to engage in the process. We developed the 360 Virtual Tours as a direct response to user feedback and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s Public Service Innovation Fund 2022 funded their development.

Click Virtual Tours (courts.ie) for more information.