In Conversation with Suzan van der Aa, Professor of Criminal Law & Criminal Procedure at Maastricht University
Ongoing discussions among professionals – frontline victim support workers, policymakers, law enforcement, and health sector professionals – focus on the importance of general (all-crime) victim support services versus specialist support services, underscoring the need to better explain this issue.
Suzan van der Aa, Professor of Criminal Law & Criminal Procedure at Maastricht University spoke with VSE on the importance of establishing a single support service for victims of all types of crimes that would work alongside specialist services. Suzan emphasizes how this approach can ensure comprehensive assistance for all victims, regardless of the crime they’ve experienced, and can improve coordination between the various victims support groups.
→ All-crime victim support services: organisations with the sole responsibility of supporting all victims of crime in a tailored manner
→ Specialist victim support services: organisations that support certain groups of victims only (e.g. women victims of violence, LGBTI+, children victims, etc.) or specialise in certain types of victim service (e.g. legal assistance).
LEARN MORE FROM OUR POLICY PAPER “National Framework for Comprehensive Victim Support”
Marina Kazakova, VSE: Suzan, could you please explain the importance of establishing a comprehensive victim support service that serves victims of various crimes, alongside specialist services tailored to victims of specific crime types?
Suzan van der Aa: If implemented well, an all-crime service provides (substantive) coverage that specialist services could never attain. Given that crimes vary from relatively mild to heinous acts, it is impossible to establish specialist services for every crime. Additionally, as victims are heterogeneous in terms of their needs and reactions to crime, it is worth having an all-crime service available that can offer support to victims with ‘generic’ needs, and help those that would otherwise ‘fall between the cracks’.
Marina Kazakova, VSE: In your opinion, what are the key advantages of offering an all-crime victim support service that collaborates with services tailored to specific crimes?
Suzan van der Aa: A key advantage is that all-crime victim support services can help victims and criminal justice professionals navigate the complexity of specialist support services. In countries hosting numerous specialist services, it can be difficult for professionals and victims to locate the most appropriate service for each victim.
Having an all-crime knowledgeable support service with a well-established network acting as a ‘front office’ or ‘link pin’ to redirect victims to the specialist services (‘back office’), saves individual professionals and victims from having to search for the most appropriate support service themselves. In countries where the police are expected to proactively liaise between victim and support services, this can be a huge advantage. Another advantage might be that all-crime support services are more able to acquire national coverage to an extent that is more complex for specialist services.
Marina Kazakova, VSE: How does an all-crime victim support service ensure inclusivity and accessibility for victims from diverse backgrounds and experiences?
Suzan van der Aa: Some measures are self-evident (e.g., having information available on websites, social media, phone & chat facilities, information in different languages; audio-visual information), but ideally, their clients’ backgrounds are reflected in the backgrounds of the various support service workers. We know that victims of certain crimes prefer talking to a service worker (or police officer) from a similar minority background or gender. In certain national police forces (e.g., the Netherlands), these needs are addressed; for instance, by assigning LGBTQIA+ police officers who are members of the ‘Pink in Blue’ initiative to LGBTQIA+ victims of hate crimes. The ‘Pink in Blue’ officers are highly appreciated by the victims who make use of their services; something similar is now being established for other minority victims of hate crimes.
Reaching out to certain (minority) groups can nonetheless be difficult. In addition, research into groups that are relatively ‘underserved’ and the reasons for their members not contacting victim support could be carried out as should investigation into alternative routes to collaborating with these groups.
Marina Kazakova, VSE: What challenges do victims face when seeking support following a crime, and how does a multi-crime victim support service address these challenges effectively?
Suzan van der Aa: There are fewer studies into support-seeking behaviours than studies into non-reporting, but there can be multiple reasons as to why victims don’t seek support following a crime. Most victims do not require support from victim support services and are capable of handling the aftermath of crime themselves; however, these victims might also be reluctant to get in touch. They, for instance, think the crime is not serious enough; they fear repercussions from the offender; they wish to protect the offender; they are unaware of the support services available; they have an insecure residence status, etc. etc. Yet again, victims may suffer from (mild) mental disabilities that hinder them in contacting support services.
Marina Kazakova, VSE: Suzan, could you provide examples of how an all-crime victim support service enhances coordination and collaboration among stakeholders in the criminal justice system and victim advocacy groups?
Suzan van der Aa: A first example that comes to mind is the formalized collaboration between the Dutch police/PPS and Victim Support NL. When a victim reports a crime, police officers must tell the victim about existing support services and facilitate their access to these services. If the crime is a minor one, police officers simply provide the victim with Victim Support NL’s phone number and website address; however, in more severe cases, officers ask victims whether their contacts details can be forwarded to Victim Support NL. If the victim consents, the information is automatically passed to Victim Support NL; in turn, support staff will contact the victim within two working days. In cases of severe violence and sexual crimes, a police family liaison officer will immediately contact Victim Support NL. Having support staff proactively reach out to victims is more effective than placing the onus on the victim to make contact.
Another example involves the potential role played by all-crime support services in helping develop victims’ (rights) legislation or policy. Victim Support NL is often consulted on legislative and policy initiatives in the field of victims’ (rights) and will offer unsolicited advice if laws/policy/practice measures are identified as being disadvantageous for victims. As an all-crime service, Victim Support NL can channel input from specialist advocacy groups and are important ‘sparring partners’ of the Ministry of Justice and Safety.
Marina Kazakova, VSE: From your perspective, what role does a multi-crime victim support service play in empowering victims to navigate the legal and emotional aftermath of crime?
Suzan van der Aa: Multi-crime victim support services can play a pivotal role in both respects. A victim support worker should be aware of the available victim rights and services, and help their client navigate the legal and support landscape. For example, they can help the victim access case files, draft compensation claims, or develop a Victim Impact Statement or Victims’ Statement of Opinion. In addition, they can provide (basic) emotional and psychosocial support. If matters become too complex in terms of rights or emotions, they can direct victims to more specialised forms of support (specialised legal aid, psychological support).
Marina Kazakova, VSE: How does an all-crime victim support service adapt to the evolving landscape of crime and victimization, such as cybercrime and online harassment?
Suzan van der Aa: All-crime victim support services must keep abreast of new developments. Ideally, staff should be aware of current research regarding the effects of these crimes, be able to appropriately address the needs of victims, and adjust their services accordingly (newsletters and training can be used to update practices across the organisation). The same is also true for specialist support services.
Marina Kazakova, VSE: What measures are in place to ensure the quality and effectiveness of services provided by an all-crime victim support service, particularly in terms of meeting the diverse needs of victims?
Suzan van der Aa: This is a question that is better addressed by someone working for an all-crime victim support service. However, I know that Victim Support NL ensures that their volunteers receive comprehensive training before they meet with victims for the first time, and employs specialists to support and advise victims of more serious crimes. I understand that (continuous) training is very important.
Marina Kazakova, VSE: In your experience, what are some common misconceptions or challenges faced in promoting the establishment and sustainability of all-crime victim support services, and how can these be overcome?
Suzan van der Aa: Again, this question is better asked of a victim support worker, but if I have to speculate: challenges exist in sustaining structural financial support, in many countries guaranteeing sufficient public funding for victim support is a struggle; attracting sufficient volunteers; and maintaining high levels of quality and professionalism within your organisation.
