Will new victim service do job?

Feb 7 2010 by Michael Kelly, Sunday Sun

The Government last week announced the formation of a new service to provide financial and emotional support for victims of crime and their families. Justice Secretary Jack Straw described the legislation as a defining moment in helping society’s most vulnerable. But who will really benefit? MIKE KELLY reports.

ON the face of it, the establishment of the new National Victims’ Service is long overdue.

In its early years, the Labour party had been the butt of jokes from several critics that it was “tough on crime, tough on the victims of crime”.

But it would be unfair to just highlight Labour’s deficiencies. Before them, successive governments seemed more inclined towards the rehabilitation of offenders than addressing the chaos, trauma and heartache these criminals left behind.

To fill this void the North East Victims Association (NEVA) was founded by David Hines in 1992 after his daughter, Marie, 22, was brutally murdered in her own home by a former partner.

Mr Hines vowed he would not be beaten by a killer and in the months and years that followed, shock turned to anger at the lack of help and support for the people needing it most - the families left behind.

After seeing Marie’s killer jailed for life, he began a journey to unite the families of murder and manslaughter victims.

At that time, South Tyneside based NEVA was the UK’s only organisation fighting solely for families affected by murder.

People contacted it for many reasons including information about probation, trials, counselling and financial assistance.

The charity’s flagship annual conference – providing a chance for families to spend time together – continues to this day and is always a moving event.

Now known as the National Victims’ Association, spokesman Neil Atkinson welcomed the Government’s initiative, but with one very big reservation.

“Anything that makes life better and easier for people who have been bereaved through homicide is a good thing,” he said.