Member

We know that, without support, victims are less likely to stay the course of a criminal justice process, less likely to recover from the trauma of their experience, less likely to be able to go back into work, and more likely to remain vulnerable to future exploitation and abuse. Specialist services are those that employ dedicated workers who are trained to understand, for example, the dynamics of coercive and controlling behaviour. They are those that recognise that rape and domestic abuse are largely gendered crimes. They recognise that children are not just an adjunct to adults and that, just as they have paediatricians, children need their own child-centred response. By-and-for services also go further. They are experts in honour-based abuse and the weaponisation of immigration status, the needs of disabled or older victims and the dynamics of same-sex relationships. Crucially, they are independent from the statutory sector. They champion the victim first and advocate for the support they need without fear or favour.