NEW PLEDGE TO SUPPORT YOUNG VICTIMS OF CRIME IN LEWISHAM

A pioneering Government programme which supports young victims of crime in Lewisham, as well as helping them to keep themselves safe, will be rolled-out nationwide, Justice Minister Bridget Prentice announced today.

Around 13,000 young people at risk of becoming a victim of crime including anti-social behaviour, knife or gang related crime have already been reached through the work of five innovative pilots. These pilots also enable young victims to deal with the impact of a crime and move on with their lives. From today the Government is pledging a further half a million pounds to helping new projects learn from their success.

Working hand in hand with local communities, police, schools and voluntary groups, these pilots have identified the needs of their local young people and put in place a range of services, advice and tailor-made support.

Whilst visiting one of the successful pilots in Lewisham, Bridget Prentice said:

“Young people are more likely to experience crime than adults, and are also the least likely to report what has happened. This can often result in them not knowing where to go to access help.

“That is why programmes like this are so important. These pilots have already had great success, in less than one year, and demonstrate just what can be achieved when local communities, supported by Government and the police, pull together to tackle the issues they face.

“Lewisham, the project I am visiting today, is a model example of how we can help keep our young people safe, help those who have been a victim of crime re-build their lives and support them so they don’t turn to crime in response to being a victim.

“Now I want to encourage more communities across England and Wales to establish their own projects – using the success of these five pilots as an important guide.”

Part of the Youth Crime Action Plan, this programme encourages the police, local authority and voluntary sector to make a public pledge setting out what support will be provided to the young people within their communities by offering services ranging from workshops, drop-in sessions, school assemblies, music, sport and youth clubs to outdoor activity breaks and one-to-one support.

Chief Inspector Graham Price, Chair of the Lewisham Youth Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) Board said:

“Young people are less likely to come forward and report crimes and therefore less able to access the existing wide network of support that is available. We’re determined to support young people if they do become victims of crime and our pledge to the young people of Lewisham sets out what they can expect.”

The Government’s Youth Task Force will now use the funding announced today to help other areas across England and Wales replicate the success of the five pilots.

Lewisham built on its existing provision for young victims of crime and established a Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) for young victims of the most serious crimes.

Lewisham is one of the Youth Crime Action Plan priority areas who have received funding to develop a comprehensive package of measures to prevent and tackle youth crime through the triple-track approach of tough enforcement, non-negotiable support and prevention.

(Ministry of Justice) Domestic Violence: eighteen new Special Courts announced

Victims of Domestic Violence will receive extra help and support from 18 new Specialist Domestic Violence Courts, Justice Minister Bridget Prentice announced today.

The new courts will be located in Eastern England, East Midlands, London, North East, North West, South West, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside. The Government has a target to have a total of 128 courts by 2011.

These courts are a fundamental part of the Government's efforts to improve the support and care provided for victims of Domestic Violence. The Specialist Domestic Violence Court programme promotes a combined approach to tackling domestic violence by the police, the Crown prosecutors, magistrates, courts and probation together with specialist support services for victims, which situates the court and the Criminal Justice System as part of a community-wide response to Domestic Violence.

Justice Minister, Bridget Prentice said:

"I am delighted to announce a further 18 Specialist Domestic Violence Courts. These courts have been a real success and are central to the package of support we offer domestic violence victims.

"It is clear by the level of interest and the standard of assessments this year that there is still an appetite locally for the development of specialist courts. This latest batch of accredited courts puts us well on the way to meeting the target of 128 Specialist Domestic Violence Courts by 2011.

"The progress made shows that the Government is absolutely committed to putting victims at the heart of the Criminal Justice System."

Key features of the courts include:

* trained and dedicated criminal justice staff with enhanced expertise in dealing with domestic violence, including magistrates specially trained in dealing with domestic violence cases
* cases clustered on a particular day to enable all agencies to focus their specialist resources
* tailored support and advice from Independent Domestic Violence Advisors

Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said:

"Domestic Violence is a devastating hidden crime which the Government condemns in all its forms. We are committed to ensuring victims are at the heart of the criminal justice system by ensuring they feel confident in coming forward and reporting these cowardly crimes. We now have 122 Specialist Domestic Violence Courts providing victims across the country with the support they need to come forward and help us bring perpetrators to justice. We know this approach is working - the number of prosecutions has nearly doubled in the past four years and an average of 72.5 per cent of cases now result in a successful prosecution.

"We also recognise the need to do more to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place, which is why we recently launched the largest cross-Government consultation on ending violence against women and girls - asking the public what more we can do to prevent and challenge the attitudes that condone it. I urge both men and women to feed in their views."

The Attorney General, Baroness Scotland QC said:

"Improving the safety of women experiencing Domestic Violence and the support that they are given is a key priority for the Government. The selection of 18 further Specialist Domestic Violence Courts will ensure that more victims of domestic violence will benefit from enhanced expertise and insight into these crimes. The Crown Prosecution Service continues to improve its performance on domestic violence cases. Specialist Domestic Violence Courts are playing a key role in increasing the number of successful outcomes"