Make a complaint

As the victim or witness of a crime, you deserve to be treated with dignity, sensitivity and respect. You can complain if you’re unhappy with the way you’re treated by any of the services supporting you after a crime. Your complaint can be about any stage of the process – from initially reporting a crime through to the support offered after a trial.

Complaints are handled differently, depending on whether they’re about:

• a criminal justice agency, such as the police, the Crown Prosecution Service or the courts
• a local charity or specialist support service

Complaining about a criminal justice agency

The Victims’ Code explains the rights that everyone can expect to receive as a victim of crime. If you feel that your rights haven’t been met, you can make a complaint.

The steps to making a complaint

1. Take your complaint to the person you’ve been dealing with.
2. If you can’t talk to this person or you’re unhappy with their response, make a formal complaint to the organisation they work for, such as your local police force or the Crown Prosecution Service.
3. If necessary, the organisation will forward your complaint to the right place and let you know.

You should receive an acknowledgement within 10 working days and be told when to expect a response.

If you’re still not satisfied, you can ask your local MP to pass your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, which is responsible for considering complaints relating to public services.

Complaining about a charity or specialist support service

Many local charities and services aren’t covered by the Victims’ Code, but they will have their own complaints process. Start by making a complaint directly to the charity or service.