Help and support for victims of crime

If you have been a victim of crime, Victim Support Northern Ireland is a charity that provides free confidential support, practical help and information.

Are you are victim of crime?

Once you have reported a crime to the police you will be asked if you would wish your contact details to be passed to Victim Support NI an independent local charity. If so, they will make contact with you to see if they can help you. If you do not want your name passed on you should tell the police officer who is dealing with your case.

If you wish to speak to someone from Victim Support NI before the police contact you, you can contact them directly on (028) 9024 4039 (office hours), or, at any time, by telephoning the National Supportline 0845 30 30 900 or by contacting your local Victim Support NI office (office hours).

Whether or not you choose to report the crime, Victim Support NI can help you to cope with the effect it has had on you. When you contact them, a fully trained volunteer will give you information on what to expect, help you decide the type of support you need and make sure you receive that help for as long as you need it. They can meet you at your local Victim Support NI office or somewhere suitable for you.

You may want to contact Victim Support NI if you:

want to talk, in confidence, to someone who can help you
need information or practical help
want to make a claim for criminal injuries compensation
are going to court, either as an observer or as a witness

The phone line is open at the following times:

Monday to Friday - 9.00 am to 9.00 pm
Saturday and Sunday - from 9.00 am to 7.00 pm
Public holidays 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Victim Support NI provides these services FREE OF CHARGE and does not take a percentage from any award made.

Victim Support NI also has information about other organisations offering help, such as counselling, and can give you contact details if you would find that helpful. This information can also be accessed through the organisations website.

Victim Support NI

You can also contact your local Victim Support scheme. You can find the contact details for your local Victim Support scheme on the Victim Support website.

Are you a victim of a hate crime?

Hate crime in all of its forms is unacceptable. A hate incident is “any incident which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be due to a person’s ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, political opinion or disability”.

Hate incidents can take many forms, such as physical assault, name-calling, damage to your home or property or being refused services to which you are entitled. Not every hate incident will amount to a crime, but that does not mean that you should put up with it. An information leaflet has been produced for victims of hate crime.

Information leaflet for victims of hate crime (pdf 1.58 MB)

Reporting hate crime

The Police Service of Northern Ireland is committed to identifying and prosecuting perpetrators of all hate related crime. Reporting incidents to police provides essential information which enables the police to prevent further incidents taking place and to identify those responsible.

Incidents can be reported by:-

calling 999 in an emergency
contacting your local police on 0845 600 800
calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

The police service has immediate access to interpreters 24 hours a day for non English speakers. Minority Liaison Officers have been appointed in every Police District. These officers have been specifically trained to advise and support victims of hate crime.

Further help for victims of crime

There are many other voluntary organisations which exist soley to help victims. They are independent and provide their services free and in the strictest confidence.