VBCSM9]: Survivor of teenage sexual exploitation and survivor of CSAM (child sexual abuse material)

• “The right to review/ be able to challenge decisions that affect them” could be “The right to review/ be able to challenge all decisions that affect them throughout the process from referral to verdict and beyond”

03. In your view, what would be the best way to gather feedback from victims on the service they are receiving or have received from criminal justice agencies (such as the police, Crown Prosecution Service and Courts service)?

VBCSM10 stated that the key for him to providing feedback was his ISVA, but the Police took a really pragmatic approach to his case, inviting feedback throughout.

It was agreed by all that all forces should be pro-active with inviting feedback, which would aid the victim to feel more engaged and comfortable as they are addressing the power indifference then.

VBCSM1 stated that as he has “never reported to the police, and neither have the intention” , it’s important to be able to have his journey captured and the big question is who does that, how does his experience ever get captured if a person hasn’t reported to the Police and therefore don’t go to court or engage with the CPS? He asked the rhetorical question… “does that mean my experience isn’t as valuable to the system?”

VBCSM4 stated that the ‘system’ should reinforce reporting is a choice by insisting that “everyone’s journey is different” and there is a need to gather feedback no matter what Criminal Justice System agency are in contact with a victim.

VBCSM1 suggested that he felt the Criminal Justice System is so separate from health and that is and always will be a danger until they come together more. He said ‘health’ should be at the centre of the system, as much as prevention or justice.

VBCSM4 asked why do RASSO claims only becoming ‘significant’ when they are brough to the police? Is that because the Criminal Justice System sees itself as more than a health system? VBCSM10 thought that the NHS’s own service is ‘so lacking’ that counsellors will ‘drop’ victims/survivors on the basis that they are not trauma-informed practitioners.

That left a big question on the idea of feedback… if its only collected from police, CPS and courts then how do we ever really move on to better understanding victims?

One way of understanding might be to better develop Victim Personal Statement’s and VBCSM8 said that there is no guarantee of who in the Criminal Justice system “hears it” . VBCSM4 also stated that his personal statement would only be heard by the accused was found ‘guilty’ and so for him, it was never heard, a missed opportunity for the system to heard feedback and understand victims’ words.

There was a unanimous agreement that all agencies involved in the care of victims should have a way of supporting a victim to develop a personal statement that evidenced impact of the crime, but also how they have been treated by society and the system. Even if the