“THE NORTHUMBRIA VICTIMS AND WITNESS SERVICE WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND AND THE COURT SUPPORT I RECIEVED WAS OUTSTANDING”
Sam’s Story
How we helped
He was at first adamant that he would not attend court and was reluctant to speak about it. Through supportive discussions, Sam agreed to give evidence remotely via live link and this was arranged by the Victim and Witness Support Officer. The support officer also liaised with Sam’s medical consultant with his consent to establish whether he was fit to give evidence. He accepted a referral to a specialist men’s Domestic Violence service locally for some face to face therapy sessions to help him to talk about what happened.
What happened afterwards
The case is currently ongoing but Sam receives regular contact from his Support Officer to check how he is coping and also ensures that the Crown Prosecution Service is kept informed of Sam’s welfare, engagement and medical progress.
How we can help you
Often with domestic abuse it can be difficult to take those first steps to speak about what has happened, especially if you are a man. We help to remove stigma from crimes and work to ensure that we can match the person with specialist support as locally as possible should this be required. We also act as a conduit between the Crown Prosecution Service and the victim as well as any other services that may be involved.