Are you interested in volunteering with Victim Support at Court (V-SAC)? We are expanding our services into Galway and Mayo courts. Volunteers are extremely important to the support that we give to victims and witnesses and we welcome volunteers from every walk of life.
For information about the role of court accompaniment volunteer, please click here.
Please apply online by clicking here.
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, launched V-SAC’s 3-year strategic plan at a virtual event on 7th April 2021 at 11.30am which was attended by Judges, Gardaí, other support agencies and Courts Services personnel. V-SAC’s plan includes the continued expansion of its court accompaniment service into areas where little or no court accompaniment service is currently available.
For full details of the Stategic Plan, click the link below:
Noelle Fitzsimons, V-SAC’s longest serving volunteer, was awarded the 2020 Community Hero Award as part of The Wheel’s 2020 Charity Impact Awards. Congratulations from everyone in V-SAC! Noelle has given up so much of her time over the past 3 decades to providing much needed support to victims of all types of crime when they came to court. To read the story about Noelle’s time volunteering, click the link below.
If you have any concerns regarding your upcoming trial during COVID-19 restrictions please contact the investigating Garda.
V-SAC staff can be contacted by phone or email if you have any queries regarding our court accompaniment service during this time.
Criminal Courts of Justice Coordinator –
Phone: (085) 8780838
Email: ccjcoordinator@vsac.ie
Regional Coordinator –
Phone (085) 860 7739
Email: info@vsac.ie
General Manager –
Phone (087) 288 5521
Email: manager@vsac.ie
For regular updates on all the courts during this time please click on the link below.
All V-SAC staff and volunteers want to wish you well. Stay safe.
V-SAC were delighted for Tangent – Trinity’s Ideas Workspace Programme Coordinator, Allyson Lambert to join us in the launch of V-SAC’s 2018 Annual Report. V-SAC were a host project for Tangent whose project team evaluated V-SAC and put forward recommendations based on the findings from their research. V-SAC were able to implement some of the recommendations during 2019.
Charity to raise awareness on European Day for Victims of Crime
A charity which provides support services to victims of crime has revealed that the number of victims of crime accessing its service has increased by 27% in the past two years.
Victim Support at Court (V-SAC) provides court accompaniment services to victims and witnesses during criminal proceedings in the Criminal Courts of Justice, and District and Circuit Courts. In 2018 the Charity began Phase 1 of a national expansion of its service.
The Charity will mark European Day for Victims of Crime on 22nd February 2019 with a breakfast briefing for judges, DPP’s Office, Gardai, other support agencies and Courts Service personnel, setting out details of its service, it’s expansion plans and providing a networking opportunity for support agencies to come together.
V-SAC General Manager Dympna Kenny said: “There has been a significant increase in demand for services from victims of crime, not only as a result of our expansion into the regional courts, but also within the CCJ in Dublin.
“We have seen a 27% increase since 2016. In 2018, we provided assistance and support to 1365 victims and witnesses attending trials, sentencing hearings and appeals. Our volunteers have given over 1,200 days of their time and there were almost five and a half thousand individual contacts with victims.
“In hosting this event to mark European Day for Victims of Crime, V-SAC wants to heighten the national awareness of crime victims’ rights and the support services available to victims in Ireland, in line with the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2018. Our mission is to provide a safe and supportive environment for victims of crime, their families and witnesses while they attend court. We want to ensure that no victim is left without support.
“V-SAC will be following Victim Support Europe’s 10 Day social media campaign in recognition of European Day for Victims of Crime, which will highlight specific victims’ rights on each day. We encourage everyone to get involved and share the message from this campaign.
“We provide a free service that is dedicated solely to court accompaniment for victims of all types of crime, their families and prosecution witnesses while they attend court. This is probably the most difficult thing for them to do at possibly the most difficult and traumatic time – when they have to go to court and face the person accused of doing harm to them or their loved one. Most people are unaware that they are entitled to free support while they are attending court. We want to let people know that they are not alone and V-SAC is here to support for the duration of the legal proceedings. Our service is committed to making the court process less intimidating for victims and witnesses, giving them a safe space where they can be apart from the general public and a listening ear if they need it. “
