Victims of sexual violence and serious crime to receive more support

Justice Minister Simon Power announced more support for victims of sexual violence and serious crime at the Working with Sexual Violence Symposium held in Auckland on Friday 6 May.

The new entitlements to be funded are:

• A new court attendance grant of $100 per day for both victims of sexual violence and their unpaid support person. This will help them cover some of the financial costs incurred as a result of their attendance at court such as lost wages. Currently, victims of sexual violence can be paid for the time they spend testifying as a witness, but not for attending the rest of the trial.

• An expanded travel assistance scheme of up to $1,000 for victims of serious crime travelling for justice-related matters such as post-sentence restorative justice conferences, travel to court education for young victims, travel to meet victim advisors pre-trial, or travel to coronial hearings where a person has died as a result of a criminal act. Currently, the travel assistance scheme provides financial assistance for travel, accommodation, and related costs for victims of serious crime (and their unpaid support person) attending court proceedings of up to $3,000, and Parole Board hearings up to $1,500.

• A means-tested emergency grant of up to $2,000 for economically disadvantaged victims of serious crime including sexual assault. The grant will fund special assistance such as emergency accommodation, supplying security locks, trauma counselling, and relocation costs for victims of serious crime who have no way of supporting their own healing and recovery.

The full range of services funded by the Offender Levy is available at the link below http://www.justice.govt.nz/policy/supporting-victims/new-entitlements-an...

Please visit the link below for the full press release http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/victims-sexual-violence-and-serious-c...

Minister Power’s full speech to the Symposium is available at http://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/speech-working-sexual-violence-symposium