be made with each complainant each time the matter appears in court. There are also reasons for urgency in contacting some of the complainants due to high media coverage. It is important for a complainant to be informed of the progress of a matter before it appears in the media. This can involve making contact with up to 8 individual people for one matter. These cases can often be slower in their progress through the criminal justice system due to the amount of evidence needing to be gathered and analysed and also in finding suitable periods of time in court. Complainants often express frustration and disbelief at the amount of time the matter takes to get to trial.

The service was also involved in a matter in which six complainants gave evidence via a remote facility in the one trial. The WAS supported most of the complainants while also ensuring none of the complainants came in to contact with the others to protect the integrity of their evidence. In this particular case both Witness Assistants were involved in this trial for about a week.

ACT DPP FEEDBACK SURVEY

Within the next financial year it is proposed to roll out an ACT DPP feedback survey. This is to collect information on victims’ experiences with the Office and data will be used to improve the service provided to victims. The survey will initially be sent to complainants who were supported by a Witness Assistant, and after review will likely be sent to a broader sample of victims.

CONFISCATION OF CRIMINAL ASSETS

The Confiscation of Criminal Assets Act 2003 has proven to be an effective tool in the fight against serious crime. The Office continues to pursue the restraint and forfeiture of property in cases where there is clear evidence that property was either used in the commission of an offence, or was the proceeds of crime. The Office believes that restraint and forfeiture can be a significant deterrent value on offenders. Given the value of the property involved, restraint and forfeiture can, in some cases, be more daunting to offenders than the prospect of short a custodial sentence.

The Office commonly pursues the restraint and forfeiture of houses used in relation to the cultivation of marijuana, cars used in relation to robberies and burglaries, cash which is the proceeds of drug trafficking, and electronic equipment used in relation to child pornography.

Of note, in the latest reporting period the Office dealt with the restraint or forfeiture of:

• a car in which the rape of a juvenile was committed;
• a house to satisfy a penalty order relating to a fraud against the ACT Catholic Education Office of over $1 million; and
• two cars and electrical equipment that were purchased with cash that was the proceeds of crime from an armed robbery on a licensed premises.

Given proceedings under the Act are akin to civil proceedings, the Office was able to

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ANNUAL REPORT  2011-12  DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS                                                                                    25

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