The Department of Justice has announced the provider of an
advocacy service for victims of sexual and domestic abuse.
ASSIST NI will provide an adult service for victims who are aged
18 and above, and a separate service for children and young
people who are 17 years of age and below, who are engaging with
the criminal justice system.
Both services will be available to victims of domestic abuse who
are assessed by the PSNI as being at high-risk of serious harm,
as well as victims of serious sexual offences.
Justice Minister said: “I am acutely
aware of the trauma and distress experienced by victims of
domestic and sexual abuse and how their anguish can be compounded
further if they don't receive adequate support.
“I am determined they should be able to access help at
the earliest opportunity and the services announced today will
ensure victims of these despicable crimes are not alone during
what can be an incredibly difficult process.
“The services will be available to those deemed to be at
high-risk of serious harm and that will allow us to focus our
efforts on those who most need the support.
“Most importantly, the victim is at the heart of the
service; advocacy means taking account of the victim's needs and
working towards meeting those, by providing information which
allows victims to explore their options and help them make
decisions about the best way forward.
“This advocacy service is key to ensuring the victim's
voice is heard and taken account of. I want to empower victims as
I believe doing this is a crucial element on their journey to
recovery.”
Police will refer adult and child high-risk victims of domestic
abuse, including those who have been subject to a referral to a
Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference, to ASSIST NI.
The Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) will also refer
adults who have self-referred to the SARC in respect of a sexual
assault but are not yet engaging with the criminal justice
system.
ASSIST NI will also support children who have been referred by
social services, following attendance at the Rowan SARC, but are
not yet engaging with the criminal justice system.
ASSIST NI is managed by a partnership consisting of Belfast and
Lisburn Women's Aid, Foyle Women's Aid, and the Men's Advisory
Project. These three specialist organisations have a lengthy
and wide range of expertise in supporting victims of domestic and
sexual abuse.
The adult scheme is scheduled to launch on 1 April 2025, while
the children's advocacy service is set to commence on 1 July
2025.
Notes to editors:
- The ASSIST NI service assesses individual need and risk;
develops a safety support plan; helps encourage and maintain
engagement of domestic and sexual abuse victims within the
criminal justice system and refers victims on to other statutory
and non-statutory agencies for specialist support as appropriate.
- A Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference is a meeting where
information is shared on the highest risk domestic abuse cases
between representatives of local police, probation, health, child
protection, housing practitioners and other specialist service
providers from the statutory and voluntary sectors. After sharing
all relevant information they have about a victim, the
representatives discuss options for increasing safety for the
victim and turn these into a co-ordinated action plan.
