As a victim of crime, you are entitled to a lot of information and support throughout the criminal justice process.

The Victims of Crime SA website has a number of helpful resources for victims, as well as information about the different types of support available to you.

Your rights

As a victim of crime, you have rights that protect you and make sure you're treated fairly by the criminal justice system in South Australia.

These apply to all government agencies and public officials and outline how you should be treated. They are an important guide to help you understand what to expect from the criminal justice process as a victim.

See the Victims of Crime SA website for the full list.

Victim Impact Statements

A Victim Impact Statement (VIS) is a written document which gives you the opportunity to tell the court how the crime has affected  you.

A VIS can only be considered by the court when there has been a guilty plea by a defendant, or where a defendant has been found guilty at trial.

Further information about VIS can be found on the Victims of Crime SA website.

Compensation

There may be some circumstances where you are eligible for compensation for your injuries or losses.

There are organisations separate to the ODPP which deal with this.

The Victims of Crime SA website has more information about the types of compensation which may be available.

Intervention orders

Intervention Orders can assist to help protect you and/or other family members if you/they are a victim of abuse.

The SA Police website has further information about what can be included in Intervention Orders, and how applications are made.

In addition to this, where a person has been found guilty of an offence a Court sentencing that person can, in some circumstances, impose an Intervention Order as part of the sentencing process. This is something that the ODPP solicitor, prosecutor or Witness Assistance Officer will discuss with you; you can raise it with them at any stage of the process, or with the Investigating Police Officer.

Victim registers

Once an offender has been convicted of a crime, you might want to be kept informed about the prisoner.

To stay informed, you will need to register on a Victim Register.

The Victims of Crime SA website includes information about:

• eligibility
• how to register
• what sort of information can be provided to registered victims.