RESOURCES

Ministry of Justice

Victims and Witnesses of Crime and Violence

About Us

Victim Services and Crime Prevention provides a comprehensive response to crime through a range of services from crime prevention to support for victims of crime and women and their children fleeing violence in their relationships. As the provincial centre of responsibility for victims’ issues, violence against women issues and crime prevention, we develop legislation, policies and programs, provides training and delivers and funds programs that support victims and their families, address violence against women issues, provide a restorative justice response to crime, enhance public safety and local crime prevention efforts, and build and maintain safe communities.

We have legislative responsibility for the Victims of Crime Act, the Criminal Injury Compensation Act and the Crime Victim Assistance Act. We provide funding and support to over 160 police-based and community-based victim service programs, as well as a toll-free, provincial-wide, 24-hour multilingual victim crisis line (VictimLink BC). In addition, we provide funding and support to over 250 programs that provide counseling and outreach services to women fleeing violence in their relationships and children who witness abuse.

We also provide direct services to victims, including:

  • The Crime Victim Assistance Program, which provides financial assistance and benefits to victims of violent crime, their immediate family members and some witnesses;
  • The Victim Safety Unit, which provides victims with ongoing and timely updates about their case and notification of changes to the custodial status of offenders; and
  • Court Support Programs at Downtown Community Court (Vancouver), Port Coquitlam, and Surrey that assist victims of crime through the justice process by providing information, court accompaniment, and referrals to other justice and community services.

See also, Victim Service and Crime Prevention Activity Report 2009 - 2010 [PDF]

To contact Victim Services and Crime Prevention or one of our programs, see the Contact Us page.