Vulnerable victims of crime will be able to give evidence from community buildings through live video-links to court rooms for the first time in Staffordshire, due to a new project by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire.
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner in Staffordshire (OPCC) have secured funds to develop a “live link” facility for vulnerable and intimidated witnesses to give evidence from a location away from court buildings or police stations.
The OPCC secured £20,000 from the Ministry of Justice’s Victims Grant for the project, which is expected to start later this year.
Matthew Ellis, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire, said: “This project will help protect vulnerable and intimidated witnesses who may find attending court and facing those accused of a crime a terrifying ordeal.
“It will reduce the chance of these witnesses coming into contact with the offender’s family members and aims to increase the number of victims who are comfortable to give evidence and reduce the number of victims who withdraw from the process prior to court.”
This is part of wider work by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire to help victims and witnesses as well as looking at how technology can make a difference.
The Police and Crime Commissioner’s Safer, Fairer United Communities strategy includes the theme of placing witnesses and victims at the centre of the criminal justice system.
The video-link project will be initially trialled in the North of the county at one venue. Victims of domestic abuse from areas including Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire Moorlands whose cases are being progressed through the Magistrates Courts will be able to use the facility.
A venue has been identified in a community building in Stoke-on-Trent and work to make the venue fit for purpose and install specialist equipment for the video-link will take place over the coming months.
A number of partner agencies have been involved in the development and running of this service including Staffordshire Police, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Witness Service, Victim Support, ARCH, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Courts Service.
Supporting victims and witnesses is one of four priorities in Mr Ellis’ Safer, Fairer United Communities strategy for more local, effective policing and community safety in the county.
