MEDIA RELEASE: 9.00am Friday 6th May 2011

New Victim Grants A Great Response

New financial assistance for victims announced by the Minister of Justice today have been welcomed by Victim Support as “a great response to the needs of victims of serious crime”.

“Victims of serious crime face significant financial burdens in addition to the emotional and physical damage crime imposes on people’s lives. This package of new grants complements the existing grants available through Victim Support and will ensure more victims get assistance to cope with the some of the financial costs of crime” said Victim Support CEO Tony Paine.

Victim Support is particularly pleased to see recognition of the needs of people whose loved ones are killed by a criminal act such as drunk driving. “This was an anomaly, with grants already available for families of people killed in a homicide but not in incidents where lesser charge is laid, although a life has been taken nevertheless. We’re delighted to see the Minister has moved to address this” said Mr Paine. “We know financial assistance as part of a package of support available from Victim Support can never turn back the clock, but this is all part of saying to victims of serious crime: ‘what has happened to you should not have happened, and you do not have to face the burden of that alone’”

The new grants will be available through Victim Support’s 65 offices around New Zealand and will commence 1 July 2011.

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