Victims and Offenders

This page aims to provide context around both victims and offenders, providing useful links and information and displaying our local research that is specific to victim and offenders and their needs.

Local Research

Since 2012 the Research Group has been commissioned to provide an overview of victims and offenders in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC). The first report published in 2012 was a detailed needs assessment of both victims and offenders and involved a detailed analysis of the data and interviews with key stakeholders.

Most recently the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner commissioned a needs assessment for victims, suspects and offenders in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough (2019/20). This needs assessment aims to provide an overview and profile of the available data relating to:

      • Victims: individuals who had experienced an offence reported to Cambridgeshire Constabulary or accessed victim support services
      • Suspects: individuals linked to an offence as a suspect by Cambridgeshire Constabulary
      • Offenders: individuals known to the Youth Offending Service or probation services (including the National Probation Service and Community Rehabilitation Company).

Click on the image below to access the full report or click here to access the executive summary.

Victims

The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (Victims’ Code) sets out the services and a minimum standard for these services that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales. This Victims’ Code was introduced in 2005 and refreshed in November 2020 to set out more clearly a summary of 12 victims’ rights.

Who is a ‘victim’ under this Code?

This Code acknowledges that the terms ‘complainant’ and ‘survivor’ are often used in the criminal justice system to describe a person who has made a criminal allegation to the police. However, for the purpose of this Code, the definition of a ‘victim’ is:

  • a person who has suffered harm, including physical, mental or emotional harm or economic loss which was directly caused by a criminal offence;
  • a close relative (or a nominated family spokesperson) of a person whose death was directly caused by a criminal offence.

You can also receive Rights under this Code if you are:

  • a parent or guardian of the victim if the victim is under 18 years of age; or
  • a nominated family spokesperson if the victim has a mental impairment or has been so badly injured because of a criminal offence that they are unable to communicate or lacks the capacity to do so.

All service providers must have the victim’s best interests as their primary consideration and take the victim’s age, maturity, views, needs and concerns fully into account.

Legal persons (e.g. businesses or other enterprises such as charities) are not included within the definition of a victim. However, businesses and other enterprises such as charities can receive the services in this Code.

The infographic for the 2019/20 Victim Needs Assessment can be found below.

Previous research and reports relating to victims can be accessed here.

Offenders

The definition of an offender is an individual that has committed an offence or illegal act. Offenders however are not a homogeneous group of people, they differ greatly in their backgrounds, ethnicity, education, culture and needs etc.

The infographic for the 2019/20 Suspect/Offender Needs Assessment can be found below.

Previous research and reports relating to offenders can be accessed here.