For the last 12 weeks, the Office of The Police and Crime Commissioner have been sharing detailed information relating to each of the 12 rights within the Victims’ Code that was revised in April 2021.

The Victims Code sets out the rights for Victims of Crime and the standards that must be provided to victims by organisations in the Criminal Justice system including the police, Crown Prosecution Services (CPS), court services and more.

The purpose of sharing this detail on each right was to provide information about local processes in Bedfordshire and how victims can access support and key services.

The Commissioner, Festus Akinbusoye said “PCC’s are responsible for the statutory role of commissioning services across England to support victims to cope with the impact of crime and recover from the harm both mentally and physically.  I have been committed to implementing the new victim code and my office have been focussing on making it accessible to victims of crime so that they are educated on what they are entitled to”.

Simon Powell, Head of Victim Care said “Being able to spotlight the Victims Code of Practice to victims of crime in Bedfordshire has been important as it has enabled the OPCC to demonstrate what they are entitled to from the Criminal Justice System. Part of this is the right to be referred to Bedfordshire Victim Care Services (BVCS). Bedfordshire Police Officers will offer victims of crime the chance to be referred into BVCS. BVCS is commissioned by the OPCC and are able to help provide support around the Victims Code as well as practical and emotional support to anyone who has been a victim of crime”.

A high-level overview of how the OPCC and BVCS can support the victim code can be found here.

We have a dedicated page which details each of the 12 rights on our website.

More information about the Victims’ Code and your rights can be found at www.gov.uk/government/pyublications/the-code-of-practice-for-victims-of-crime and www.gov.uk/get-support-as-a-victim-of-crime