Victims of crime in Tasmania: your rights, support and compensation

Something happened to you, or to someone you love. Maybe last week. Maybe long ago. Either way, you are now inside a system you never chose, at a time when you have the least to spare for it.

This page explains how that system works in Tasmania. What happens after you report. Who can help, and what each service actually does. What you are entitled to. How financial assistance works. And where the victim impact statement fits.

If you are in immediate danger, call 000. Other support numbers are listed at the end of this page.

What happens after you report a crime

You can report a crime by calling 131 444 for non-urgent matters, at any police station, or through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 if you want to stay anonymous. In an emergency, call 000.

After you report, police investigate. If someone is charged, the matter goes to court. Tasmania keeps this simpler than the mainland: there is no District Court here. Less serious charges are dealt with in the Magistrates Court, and serious charges go straight to the Supreme Court, where the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions runs the case.

Something that catches many people off guard: the case belongs to the state, not to you. You are a witness rather than a party, which means you do not need your own lawyer, and you also cannot withdraw the charges yourself. After everything you have been through, that can feel like being pushed to the side of your own story. Try to hold the other side of it too. The weight of running the case sits with the state, not with you.

You are entitled to information along the way. You can ask police how the investigation is going, ask the prosecution about charges and hearing dates, and ask to be told the outcome of any bail application, including conditions meant to protect you.

Court takes time. Months is normal, and a Supreme Court matter with a trial can run well beyond a year. Support exists for the whole distance, not just the first weeks.

The support services, and what each one actually does

Victims of Crime Service. Free trauma counselling, advice and practical support for victims of crime, run within Victims Support Services in the Department of Justice. This is the front door for most people. Call 1300 663 773.

Victims Support Services. The wider service around the counselling. Staff can explain court, custody, bail and parole processes, help you prepare a victim impact statement for court or a submission for the Parole Board, run the Eligible Persons Register, and connect you with other services. They also advocate for victims' rights.

Court Support and Liaison Service. Supports victims of family violence through the court process, including a dedicated child witness support service for children.

Safe at Home. Tasmania's integrated family violence response, with police, justice and support services working together on the safety of adults and children and the accountability of the person using violence. If your matter involves family violence, much of what happens will run through Safe at Home.

Sexual assault support. The Sexual Assault Support Service in the south and Laurel House in the north and north-west provide specialist counselling and support. You can use them whether or not you have reported to police.

Legal help. Tasmania Legal Aid and community legal centres can answer legal questions and help with compensation applications, free of charge.

Your rights as a victim of crime in Tasmania

Tasmania has a Charter of Rights for Victims of Crime. It is not legislation, so it does not work like a law you can enforce in court. It is a public standard for how police, courts, prosecutors and victim services must treat you, and agencies are expected to follow it. It covers you whether or not anyone is ever convicted, and it covers the immediate family where someone has died.

In plain terms, the charter says you have the right to be:

• treated in a sympathetic, constructive and reassuring way, with regard for your dignity and situation
• told, when you ask, how the police investigation is progressing
• told what charges have been laid, and given reasons if charges are changed, dropped or not laid
• told the outcome of bail applications, including any conditions designed to protect you
• confident that in sexual assault and other personal violence matters, the prosecutor will put the full effects of the crime before the sentencing court
• told the outcome of the case and what the sentence means

If you feel the charter has not been followed, say so to Victims Support Services on 1300 663 773. Advocating for victims is part of their job, and problems they never hear about are problems they cannot fix.

Financial assistance for victims of crime

If a violent crime in Tasmania injured you physically or psychologically, you can apply for financial assistance under the Victims of Crime Assistance Act 1976. Independent Commissioners decide the claims, and the money comes from a government fund.

The short version:

• Primary victims can currently receive up to around $31,000 for one offence, or around $51,500 for more than one. Secondary victims, such as witnesses or the parent of a child victim, can receive up to around $20,600. Related victims of someone who was killed can receive up to around $10,300. The amounts are indexed, and future medical and counselling costs can be awarded on top.
• The time limit is three years from the crime. If you were under 18 at the time, the three years run from your 18th birthday. The rules for child sexual abuse claims have changed in recent years, so if you fear you are out of time, get advice before giving up.
• You can prepare the application yourself using the forms on the Tasmanian Government website, and you do not need a lawyer. Allow at least twelve months for a decision.
• If there is a hearing, it is informal and private, the offender is not there, and you can attend by phone or ask for a decision on the documents alone.
• The Commissioner's decision on the amount is final, which makes your written application worth doing carefully the first time.

The application asks you to describe how the crime has affected you, and that account carries real weight. We have a full guide to writing your statement for a Tasmanian compensation claim, and Victims Support Services can help with the application and obtain police and court information for you.

The victim impact statement

If the offender is found guilty or pleads guilty, you can give the court a victim impact statement before sentencing. It tells the court what the crime has done to you physically, emotionally, socially and financially. It is your voice, in your words, in a process that otherwise speaks about you rather than with you.

Writing one is entirely optional, and choosing not to will never count against you.

If you want to write one, Justice Draft's free tool guides you through it one question at a time, saving as you go.

If the offender goes to prison

Tasmania runs an Eligible Persons Register for victims of violent crime whose offender is serving a prison sentence. Once registered, you can receive updates about the prisoner's location, security classification, parole hearing dates and possible release. Your details are held securely within the Department of Justice, and joining is a simple application through Victims Support Services.

When parole is considered, you can put your views to the Parole Board, and Victims Support Services can help you prepare that submission. You do not need to register the day sentence is handed down. You can join at any point while the offender is in custody.

Where to start

If the crime is recent and unreported, start with police on 131 444, or 000 in an emergency.

If your matter is already with police or the courts, call Victims Support Services on 1300 663 773. One phone call reaches counselling, court support, the register and most of what is on this page.

If the crime injured you or cost you money, check your dates against the three-year limit. It arrives faster than anyone expects, and preparing the application costs nothing.

And if sentencing is somewhere ahead of you and you want the court to hear your voice, start your victim impact statement whenever you feel ready. A draft has no deadline. Only the filing does.

Support numbers

• Emergency: 000
• Police (non-urgent): 131 444
• Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000
• Victims Support Services and Victims of Crime Service: 1300 663 773
• Family Violence Counselling and Support Service: 1800 608 122
• Sexual assault support (statewide crisis line): 1800 697 877
• 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• 13YARN (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis support): 13 92 76