Help for victims of crime

Coping with the aftermath of a violent crime can be very traumatic and challenging. Our Victims Assistance Program provides free advice and support to help you recover. As an essential service, we are still open and operating during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Services include:

• Emotional and practical support, including access to counselling.
• Help to access support services you may need, such as free legal advice specifically for victims of crime regarding the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT).
• Help for you to prepare a victim impact statement and access court support.

The program is free of charge for victims of a violent crime or sexual assault. This includes people who have witnessed the crime. We work with people in the Gippsland region and Melbourne’s southern metropolitan region.

Do you want to find out more information about our Victims of Crime programs?

Contact us on 1300 946 337

Email: SouthernVAP@windermere.org.au

 

Simon’s story

Simon* who in his mid seventies, was the innocent victim of a serious assault.

As a result of head injuries he was placed in an induced coma and spent three months in hospital. He spent another 12 months in a rehabilitation facility.

On discharge, Simon returned home to try and rebuild his life.

“Unfortunately Simon had huge challenges and was very vulnerable,” says Kerry, Victims Assistance Worker.

He was living by himself and trying to cope with impaired hearing and walking. He also lacked safe accommodation and had no links to a doctor. To compound this, due to his extreme vulnerability, his wallet was stolen twice in two weeks and his phone was also stolen three times.

At this point the police referred Simon to the Victims Assistance Program.

“We were immediately able to organise for Simon  to move into safe, temporary, furnished housing. We also linked him into a GP and assisted him to get hearing aids,” says Kerry.

Windermere also organised funds for Simon to purchase an assistance walker, new glasses (which had been broken when his wallet was stolen) and a new mobile phone.

Simon was also linked to a range of local support services, including a counsellor, to assist him to continue to live independently and we helped him to secure suitable permanent housing.

We also provided support  to liaise with a local detective to follow up on his assault.

 “We worked closely with Simon for about 15 months. He is now living independently in his community and still drops into the office to ask a question or just to have a chat,” says Kerry.

*details changed to protect privacy

To find out more about Windermere's Victims of Crime services talk to the team on 1300 946 337, email info@windermere.org.au or visit here.