Statutory guidance

The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales and supporting public information materials

The Victims' Code focuses on victims' rights and sets out the minimum standard that organisations must provide to victims of crime.

Documents

The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code)

The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime - easy read

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Arabic translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Bengali translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Chinese translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (French translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Gujarati translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Italian translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Lithuanian translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Polish translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Portuguese translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Punjabi translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Romanian translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Spanish translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Tamil translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Turkish translation)

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Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims' Code) (Urdu translation)

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Details

The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (Victims’ Code) sets out the minimum standards that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations (referred to as service providers) in England and Wales.

Victims of crime should be treated in a respectful, sensitive and professional manner without discrimination of any kind. They also have the following rights:

  1. To be able to understand and to be understood
  2. To have the details of the crime recorded without unjustified delay
  3. To be provided with information when reporting the crime
  4. To be referred to services that support victims and have services and support tailored to your needs
  5. To be provided with information about compensation
  6. To be provided with information about the investigation and prosecution
  7. To make a Victim Personal Statement
  8. To be given information about the trial, trial process and your role as a witness
  9. To be given information about the outcome of the case and any appeals
  10. To be paid expenses and have property returned
  11. To be given information about the offender following a conviction
  12. To make a complaint about your rights not being met

British Sign Language translation

The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales (Victims’ Code) - BSL translation

Further information

Get support as a victim of crime

Leaflet for victims: resource for police forces

Published 1 October 2005
Last updated 29 February 2024 + show all updates
  1. Victims’ Code – Leaflet A5 (web) added

  2. posters updated

  3. 15 language translations added.

  4. British Sign Language translation added.

  5. Large print version of the Victims' Code added.

  6. Welsh version of page added.

  7. Code of Practice and supporting documents updated

  8. Information for Victims of Crime updated.

  9. The code of practice for victims of crime - Welsh version added to page.

  10. Updated 'Code of practice for victims of crime' added to page.

  11. Easyread version of the code added.

  12. New code of practice comes in to force

  13. Welsh translation of victims code published

  14. Published new code of practice

  15. First published.