Make a complaint
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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
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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
- Take your complaint to the person you’ve been dealing with.
- 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.
- 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.
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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.
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