The Witness Assistants assisted in the creation of an ACT DPP Victim Impact Statement Protocol. The Witness Assistants are often involved in assisting victims in the preparation of Victim Impact Statements and use this opportunity to review common issues encountered in assisting victims preparing and presenting Victim Impact Statements to the court.
WAS CASELOAD
A breakdown of all matters dealt with in the reporting period can be seen in the following table:
| Offence type categories |
Number of clients |
Percentage |
| Adult Sexual Assault |
71 |
26.9 |
| Child Sexual Assault |
75 |
28.4 |
| Historical Sexual Assault |
36 |
13.6 |
| Violent Offence |
54 |
20.5 |
| Death |
9 |
3.4 |
| Other |
19 |
7.2 |
| Total |
264 |
100 |
THE WAS ROLE IN SUPPORTING COMPLAINANTS
The Witness Assistants possess professional qualifications and experience in order to assess the needs of each individual victim. They liaise with prosecutors and court staff in relation to any specific needs or concerns. In supporting and preparing victims and witnesses for court the WAS do not discuss evidence or coach witnesses.
THE BLITZ
The WAS experienced a very busy time during the Blitz, organising support for complainants and updating complainants on changes to dates and times for trials. For each Blitz period the WAS identified all matters where there was a complainant and met with external agencies to ensure there was a support person for each matter where one was needed. In being prepared early for the Blitz the WAS avoided last minute referrals and liaised with the prosecutors to ensure there was a support person available for each matter.
SUPPORTING MULTIPLE COMPLAINANTS OF ONE OFFENDER
The Witness Assistance Service has experienced a few cases throughout the year where there are multiple complainants of sexual offences for a single offender. This is an especially busy time for the witness assistants due to the amount of contact that must
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ANNUAL REPORT 2011-12 DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS 24
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