Victim Support Central Otago

Victim Support provides free, nationwide support for people affected by crime, suicide and traumatic events.

Anyone can find themselves a victim of crime or affected by suicide or a traumatic event. These events can impact people in many ways – emotionally, physically, financially, socially and psychologically. No one has to cope alone.

Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support is here 24/7 for people directly affected by crime, suicide and traumatic events, including their whānau and witnesses. We support people to feel informed, empowered, safe and able to cope with the impact.

We provide tailored, immediate and short-term emotional support, practical assistance, information and referrals to other agencies, plus support through the criminal justice system.

Our support is free and available even if you don’t report the crime to the Police.

This is how we can help:

Emotional support

• We’re someone independent who you can talk to. We listen without judgement and support you to identify ways to cope.

Practical assistance

• We’ll work with you to develop a support plan, access financial assistance if you’re eligible, link you with community resources, and advocate on your behalf.

Information

• We’ll help you understand your rights, what happens next, how to access resources, and support you to make informed choices.

Criminal justice /coronial process support

• We’ll help you understand the justice system, including Victim Impact Statements and Victim Notification Register applications.

Referrals

• You may find our help is enough. However, we’ll help you connect with other support services and counselling, when appropriate.