Many victims of crime struggle to access the financial compensation they’re entitled to. An impending funding crisis is about to make it even harder. CEO at the Federation of Community Legal Centres, Louisa Gibbs, explains more.
Three years ago, the Victims Legal Service opened its doors, becoming the first-of-its-kind statewide service to support victims of violent crime in Victoria to access financial compensation, and a small slice of justice. The program has since provided more than 12,000 services to victims of crime, helping them navigate the complex financial assistance schemes they’re legally entitled to, so they can begin to rebuild their lives.
But funding from the Victorian Government for the program dries up in June, with no commitment to continue it into the next financial year.
The lack of commitment to funding has alarmed legal service providers, and risks exacerbating the distress experienced by victim survivors. It also raises questions about the strength of the Victorian Government’s commitment to supporting victim survivors to recover from their trauma and to access justice.
In 2021, legal service providers and victim survivor advocates celebrated the government’s announcement of funding for the service, part of a tranche of commitments to improving supports for victim survivors of violent crime. It felt like, after many years of powerful advocacy for greater protections for and recognition of victim survivors, the government was finally listening to our calls and taking action.
The impact of the investment was swift. Within three years, the service provided information in response to more than 10,000 enquiries, referred 800 victims to services for intensive legal assistance, and provided more than 2,000 victims with ongoing legal assistance.
One client put it this way: “Without [this service] I would not have been able to move forward and try to heal from my past. I will never fully recover and I will always have triggers; however, with today’s outcome I will be able to access some much needed support to stay safe physically and emotionally.”
Feedback from former clients of the service show that although you can’t put a price on the trauma of being subjected to violent crime, you can make it easier for people to recover and to get lives back on track.
By unlocking financial assistance for clients, the Victims Legal Service enables victim survivors to be recompensated for loss of earnings, safety related expenses, counselling, medical services, psychiatric assistance and other expenses incurred as a result of the experience of violence. This is a critical step in the recovery process – removing the financial hurdles so that other non-financial aspects of recovery can be realised.
What makes the Victims Legal Service so effective is its holistic, trauma-informed, victim-led approach to care, that addresses the financial needs of victims, while creating direct pathways to other complementary services such as legal help for assistance with fines and financial counselling to help with debts.
Many victim survivors of violence – be it family violence, sexual assault or otherwise – are experiencing other forms of disadvantage, including disability, homelessness, or tenancy, employment or migration issues. All have had deep trauma inflicted upon them, with damaging consequences to mental health, and derailing impacts on their lives and wellbeing. Investment in the Victims Legal Service has enabled clients to lay the foundations on which their recovery can be built. It is a simple solution to a complex problem, and it works.
But to work well, it needs to be funded properly. Already, demand for the service is outstripping capacity. If the program is cut or continues to be underfunded in the next Victorian budget, more victim survivors will be denied the help they need to access what they are entitled to. A little bit of funding can go a long way in helping thousands of victim survivors to get their lives back. But the evidence, and the voices of victim survivors, are being ignored. That may be the most worrying aspect of all.
Partners involved in the Victims Legal Service have provided ample, compelling evidence proving the effectiveness of the program, and the need for increased funding that reflects demand. If the government isn’t basing its funding decisions on evidence, then what?
We know there isn’t an endless pot of money, and recognise that governments are always under the pump (not least during intense fuel shortages). Yet, if the government won’t commit to providing the legal services some survivors of violent crimes need to enable them to access the financial assistance scheme that has been established to support them, then we have a gravely discriminatory scheme in place.
Community legal centres and other legal service providers will continue to help people who have experienced violent crime where they can, but they are already stretched and demand for services is simply overwhelming capacity to meet it. Like it did in 2021, we hope that the Victorian Government hears our calls, and acts. Victim survivors will suffer the consequences if it doesn’t.
The Victims Legal Service provides free legal advice and support to people who have suffered injury or loss because of a crime. It is a partnership between Victoria Legal Aid, community legal centres, and Aboriginal legal and family violence services. Read the Victims Legal Service Impact Report here.