Victim support is the help available to anyone affected by crime. This could be if you experience or witness it.

The support includes:

• practical help
• financial support
• emotional support
• advice on your rights

We know how important it is to get the right support at a time that’s right for you.

When you speak to us, we’ll do our best to support you and understand your needs. We’ll also tell you about other organisations and services that can offer you support.

To get support after you witness or experience crime, you can:

• contact support services
• ask to be referred to support services (your details will be shared with them so they can contact you)

Organisations that deal with crime and justice can refer you to support services at any time. We can refer you, and so can these organisations:

• Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
• Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service
• Scottish Prison Service
• Parole Board for Scotland

If you witness or experience a crime and report it to us, you can:

• give a statement
• ask for a legal representative
• ask for someone you trust to be there for support
• ask if you’d prefer a male or female officer to speak with you
• get a “Your Care card” with details of the officer you spoke to and support you can have
• ask for support even if you don’t report the crime or speak to us

If the person you choose is not allowed to be with you

Sometimes you might not be able to be with the person you asked to support you. This is often because they’re also a witness and we need to take a statement from both of you on your own.

You can ask for a different person to support you if this happens.

If you must go to court

If you’re asked to go to court, you can find out what to expect by:

• taking a virtual tour of Scottish courtrooms by Victim Support Scotland
• reading guidance for court visits from Victim Support Scotland
• visiting Scottish Court and Tribunal Service for information and advice on going to court in Scotland