The Victims Charter
The purpose of the Victims Charter is to help you find the support you need when you become a victim of crime. The Charter also describes the Criminal Justice System so that you can understand what to expect.
The journey you will face when you become a Victim of Crime can be divided into three stages: Support and Reporting Stage, the Courts Process and The Post-Trial Stage. This website will provide to you information from the Victims Charter that will be relevant to you at each of these steps. It also has a section on your rights and the Law.
Please click on each of these stages below to find out what information each section has:
When you become a victim of a crime, it is important that you know you will be listened to and you will be supported. You may wish to reach out for support even before you want to report the crime. This is the Support stage. Here you will find information on the Crime Victims Helpline, A directory of victim support services, information for victims of sexual violence and information for Irish citizens who become a victim of crime abroad.
After the crime has been committed you are encouraged to report it so it can be investigated. This is the Report Stage. Here you will find information on An Garda Síochána, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal. Click here for the Support and Reporting Section
After the crime has been investigated you may want information on what to expect from the Courts process and what type of legal assistance may be available to you. On these pages you will find information on the Courts Service, the Legal Aid Board (LAB) and the Coroner. Click here for The Courts Stage Section
After the trial you may wish to know where the perpetrator is detained, for how long and when they may be released or given temporary release. Here you will find information on the Prison Service, the Probation Service, the Parole Board, Oberstown Youth Detention Campus and the National Forensic Mental Health Service. Click here for The Post-Trial Stage Section
This section has detailed information on the main piece of legislation dealing with victims’ rights in Ireland which is the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act, 2017. It also includes a plain English guide to legal terms, information on how a criminal case is investigated and prosecuted, the law around Domestic and Sexual Violence and descriptions of protections available to victims through various court orders. Click here for the Rights & the Law Section