Victims of Crime Commissioner
Hello my name is Heidi Yates and I am the Victims of Crime Commissioner for the ACT. I also oversee the day-to-day functioning of Victim Support ACT – including the ACT Victims of Crime Financial Assistance Scheme.
My role is to promote and protect the rights of people who experience crime and to ensure they can access the support they need.
My advocacy and education role includes:
- advocating for individuals who experience crime
- advocating for reforms to the justice system
- consulting with victims of crime and promoting reforms to meet their needs; and
- advising the ACT Minister for Justice on matters in relation to victims of crime in the ACT
I also support collaboration between agencies in the ACT, for example:
- I am the Chair of the Family Violence Intervention Program Coordinating Committee.
- As the Domestic Violence Project Coordinator, I assist the Domestic Violence Prevention Council.
- I contribute to the work of the ACT Victims Advisory Board.
It is my job to work with the criminal justice system to ensure that people who experience crime are treated in accordance with the governing principles for the treatment of victims of crime. I do this by:
- Trying to resolves concerns that victims of crime raise with me about their treatment by police, prosecutions, the courts or corrective services; and
- Referring formal complaints about non-compliance with the governing principles to the appropriate complaints entity.
If you think we can help you or you would like to know more, contact us by phone 02 6205 2222 or send an email: victimsupport@act.gov.au
The Victims of Crime Commissioner is an independent statutory office, which means that we are funded by the ACT Government, but independent from the Government.
The Legislation that describes what I do includes: