Information for Victims of Crime

No one expects to become a victim of crime.  The London Police Service understands that whether you have been physically hurt, threatened, or have been the victim of a property crime, you may need information to assist you.  

This brochure will provide you with information about: 

• Victim Rights
  
  
• Common reactions to being a victim of crime
  
  
• Some things you can do that may help
  
  
• How to clear your browser history
  
  
• Victim Quick Response Program +
  
  
• Judicial process
  
  
• Information on Victim Impact Statement 
  
  
• Crime Prevention Home Safety Audits
  
  
• Community resources that can help

VICTIMS’ BILL OF RIGHTS

An Act Respecting Victims of Crime – Victims' Bill of Rights, was proclaimed as law on June 11, 1996. The Act supports and recognizes the needs of victims of crime. 

The Act includes a set of principles that guide how justice system officials should treat victims at different stages of the criminal justice process. 

The principals stipulate that victims: 

• Are treated with courtesy, compassion and respect for their personal dignity and privacy
  
  
• Are given the opportunity to be interviewed by police officers and officials of the same gender as the victim, when that victim has been sexually assaulted
  
  
• Have access to information concerning services and remedies available to victims
  
  
• Have access to information about the progress of criminal investigations and prosecutions as well as the sentencing and interim release of offenders from custody
  
  
• Have access to information about plea and pre-trial arrangements and their role in the prosecution
  
  
• Have access to information about the conditional release of offenders from custody, including release on parole, temporary absence, or escape from custody
  
  
• Are entitled to have their property returned as promptly as possible by justice system officials, where the property is no longer needed for the purposes of the justice system (for example, to carry out an investigation, trial or appeal)
  
  
• Making it easier for victims of crime to sue their assailants in civil actions 

The Act also states that a person convicted of a crime is liable for damages to the victim for emotional distress, and bodily harm resulting from the distress. The Act makes it clear that a victim of intimate partner violence, sexual assault or attempted sexual assault is presumed to have suffered emotional distress. Subject to judicial discretion, the following measures are provided for victims in civil actions: 

• An offender's sentence should not be considered when awarding compensatory damages; except in the case of punitive damages
  
  
• Victims who are successful in their lawsuits are presumed to be entitled to reimbursement for most of their legal costs by their assailant
  
  
• Victims are entitled to receive interest on awards from the date of the crime to the date of trial; and
  
  
• Victims who live outside Ontario and who are commencing a lawsuit will usually not have to post security at the outset of the proceeding

 

Common Reactions

People who have had their lives disrupted by a crime may experience physical and emotional reactions, and this is normal. Some of the things you may experience include:

Physical:

• difficulty falling asleep or waking often during the night
  
  
• change in your appetite
  
  
• backaches or stomach aches
  
  
• headaches and fatigue 

Behavioural:

• crying
  
  
• need to be alone/or surrounded by others
  
  
• emotional outbursts; and
  
  
• pacing 

Thinking:

• difficulty concentrating
  
  
• replaying the event over and over in your mind
  
  
• nightmares; and
  
  
• blaming yourself or others who are not responsible

Emotional:

• anger

• anxiety
  
  
• feeling overwhelmed
  
  
• guilt
  
  
• panic
  
  
• sadness/withdrawal
  
  
• fear
  
  
• irritable 

 

SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO THAT MAY HELP

• know it is not your fault
  
  
• be kind to yourself
  
  
• hold on to the belief that life can and will be different
  
  
• try to return to your usual routine
  
  
• talk to someone you trust
  
  
• try to get 8 hours sleep per night
  
  
• eat well balanced meals at regular times
  
  
• avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugary foods
  
  
• drink lots of water
  
  
• exercise
  
  
• relax- spend time with the people you love, in places that make you happy
• avoid isolation
  
  
• pace yourself – learn to say NO
  
  
• don’t make any big life changes or decisions; and

• ask for help if things seem overwhelming

 

A word about children…

Children who have been involved in a traumatic incident need the attention and close physical contact of their parents or caregivers: 

• reassure them of their physical safety
  
  
• allow them to set their own pace
  
  
• try to keep routine as normal as possible
  
  
• encourage them to play and draw – it is a way to cope with stress and anxious feelings
  
  
• take opportunities to listen and talk to you child
  
  
• talk about your own reactions with your child; and
  
  
• practice relaxation techniques with them

If your child is required to attend court…

The Child Witness Program offers services to child witnesses which include pre-court preparation, advocacy and referrals.  Children are given information about how the court works, how to reduce their anxiety about testifying, and are supported emotionally throughout their court experience.

For more information about the Child Witness Program please call 519-679-7250

 

HOW TO CLEAR YOUR BROWSER HISTORY

Your computer contains critical information which could put you in danger. Here are general guidelines for removing information from the browser history: 

Internet Explorer:

Go to "Tools" at the top of screen and select "Delete Browsing History".

Firefox:

Delete recent activities by going to "Tools" and selecting "Clear recent history." Delete past activities by clicking on "History" at the top of the screen. Click on the website you want to remove from your history and hit the "delete" button on your keyboard.

Chrome:

Click on "History" at the top of the screen and select "Show Full History". Click on "Edit items..." on the right side of the screen. Check the boxes next to the websites you wish to remove and click on "Remove selected items", or select "Clear all browsing data..." to remove all information about the web pages that have been visited.

 

THE VICTIM QUICK RESPONSE PROGRAM + (VQRP+):

The Victim Quick Response Program + (VQRP+) provides short-term financial support toward essential expenses for victims, their immediate family members and witnesses in the immediate aftermath of a violent crime to help reduce the impact of the crime, enhance safety and meet immediate practical needs.

Supports are available to meet the most basic and critical needs when no other means are available.

Who is eligible for the VQRP?

VQRP+ is available to individuals who have no other financial means (e.g. private insurance). 

Some of the criteria to receive VQRP+ assistance:

• It must be a violent crime (intimate partner violence, human trafficking, homicide, etc.) occurring in Ontario
  
  
• There must be a direct link between the crime and the expense being requested
  
  
• There must be no available service that is publicly funded that can meet the same need
  
  
• Depending on the crime, it must have been reported or disclosed to a police service, child protection authority, intimate partner violence shelter, sexual assault centre, hospital, community agency or Indigenous organization that provides services to victims

Additional eligibility criteria apply.

To find out if you are eligible, please contact 519-661-5636, which is the Crisis Intervention/Victim Support Unit and Victim Services Middlesex London who are the providers of this program in London.

 

STEPS IN THE JUDICAL PROCESS

Court process is lengthy, it can take months and sometimes years.