Victims Personal Statement Procedure - Dorset Police

Not Protectively Marked• The victim wishes to express legitimate concerns, such as feeling vulnerable,fearful, intimidated or worried about the alleged offender being granted bail.3.4.12 After completion of the VPS the officer taking it must:-• Assess any risks to the victim that may be identified in the VPS, or as a result ofother information, and take effective action to deal with any assessed risk afterconsultation with supervisors and other specialists;• Take any necessary immediate action to alleviate any distress or suffering of thevictim. This may include the secondary referral to Victim Support or othersupport agencies;• Input the fact that the VPS exists and any details of prompts that have beencovered in the VPS to the crime or accident recording system via the CentralInput Bureau dictation system;• Ensure that it is linked to the other case papers as soon as possible, if necessarypassing it to the relevant CJD File Preparation Unit under cover of the relevantfile Unique Reference Number (URN).3.5 Victim Focus Scheme3.5.1 Under the Victim Focus Scheme, prosecutors will offer to meet bereaved families incertain specified cases (as detailed in paragraph 3.5.2 below) after charge, in order toexplain to them the role of the CPS, the legal basis of the charges on which theprosecution is proceeding, the court process, progress of the case and the VictimPersonal Statement scheme.3.5.2 The categories of offences currently included in the scheme (“qualifying offences”)are:-• Murder;• Manslaughter;• Corporate manslaughter;• Familial homicide;• Causing death by dangerous driving;• Causing death by careless driving while unfit through drink or drugs;• Aggravated vehicle taking where death is caused (where the case is heard in theCrown Court).3.5.3 At the meeting with the family, the CPS prosecutor will explain the Victim PersonalStatement scheme. Some family members may already have made a VPS before themeeting takes place, but others may not. Prosecutors should explain the purpose ofthe VPS scheme and that it is open to family members to make a further VPS closer tothe date of the trial if they wish.3.5.4 The Family Liaison Officer (FLO) appointed to the case will be responsible for takingand drafting the VPS. The prosecutor must not be involved in this process.3.5.5 Multiple victim personal statements should generally be avoided if possible. Onemeans of achieving this is for one family member to formally adopt a composite VPSthat refers to the impact on other family members.Victim Personal Statement Procedure - 8 - P15-2001 v 1.7