Victims of a violent crimes can tell the court about how the crime has affected them in one of three ways:

• prosecutor’s submissions, the prosecutor tells the court about the harm that has been done
• sworn evidence, the prosecutor calls you as a witness at the sentence hearing and asks about the effects of the crime
• a written victim impact statement.

A written victim impact statement explains how a violent crime has harmed the victim or affected their life. A statement signed by the victim is presented to the court at the time the offender is being sentenced.

You can make a victim impact statement if you have suffered harm because:

• a violent crime has been committed against you
• a violent crime has been committed against a member of your immediate family
• you are a dependant of someone who has had a violent crime committed against them
• you went to the aid of a victim of violent crime.

Download our Guide to completing a Victim Impact Statement

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