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Surveys expose extreme lack of trust in criminal justice system

Author
Newstalk ZB, NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Mon, 4 Mar 2019, 4:31PM
The report found even some Ministers would not trust the system if a family member was harmed. (Photo / File)

Surveys expose extreme lack of trust in criminal justice system

Author
Newstalk ZB, NZ Herald ,
Publish Date
Mon, 4 Mar 2019, 4:31PM

A majority of crime victims feel they are failed by the criminal justice system, with some describing the process as worse than the crime they have suffered, a criminal justice workshop has heard.

And the Government's chief victim’s advisor Dr Kim McGregor says that the system is so "brutal" that even senior police and Ministers have told her they would not report an alleged rape of a loved one.

A separate survey by Victim Support was also released, based on in-depth interviews with victims of serious crime. It showed that 59 per cent of victims said they had no faith in the justice system, and 68 per cent felt justice had not been served in their case.

Victim Support researcher Dr Petrina Hargrave says fear is one of the main reasons crimes aren't reported.

"There's a lot of fear around it. It's a huge gamble. The justice system is a high risk environment, and t takes a huge amount of coverage to pursue justice."

Hargrave says we need to put victims at the forefront of our justice system.

She says the role of the real victim is often reduced to that of a witness.

"The victim has experienced often a horrendous crime, and they think its their case, they are the ones who have been harmed, but it actually has nothing to do with them."

More than 600 people, including about 550 victims of crime, took part in the Government survey, which was conducted last month. It found:

  • 57 per cent had either a poor or very poor overall experience of the criminal justice system; only 11 per cent said they had a good or very good overall experience.
  • 78 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed that victims had enough information and support throughout the process.
  • 76 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed that their views, concerns and needs were listened to.
  • 82 per cent disagreed or strongly disagreed that the system is "safe for victims".

McGregor released the preliminary results of a new survey today at a two-day victims' hui in Wellington, which aims to inform the Government's reforms of the criminal justice system.

McGregor told the hui that support was scattered across court, police, and Victim Support, and wanted a dedicated support worker assigned to a victim and their family for the duration of the process.

She also wanted a dedicated unit - such as a Victims Commission, similar to the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner - to track victims in the process and ensure their rights were upheld.

"We don't know how many victims get to have a victim impact statement. We don't know how many victims miss out on being put on the victims notification register.

"We have no idea how many have their rights upheld."

She said victims understood that evidence needed to be tested, but cross-examination could be respectful.

"Being called a liar over and over is not being treated with respect."

Justice Minister Andrew Little was also at the hui, and says that while he wants to reform the criminal justice system and target the high rates of recidivism, but he said this did not have to be done at the expense of victims' rights.

Jan Logie, Justice Under-secretary for domestic and sexual violence issues, said the survey results were a "real call for us to do better".

 

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