Witnessing A Crime
Becoming a witness of a crime can affect people in different ways. Some will be traumatised by what they have seen, others scared to come forward, and others still simply confused about what they should do.
Witnesses play a vital role in the Criminal Justice System. The information they provide can help the police to solve crimes and bring offenders to justice.
There are various reasons why you could be called as a witness. You could:
- Have some knowledge about a particular crime or incident;
- Be a victim of crime;
- Have specialist knowledge of a specific area – an ‘expert witness’; or
- Know somebody involved in the case – a ‘character witness’.
Many people are unsure about what happens in a criminal case and may feel anxious about coming forward or giving evidence in court. The Witness Virtual Walkthrough is an interactive tour which has been developed to guide witnesses through the Criminal Justice System.
The tour explains each step of the process any witness of crime will encounter, from the time they report what they know, through the police investigation to prosecution, court processes and sentencing.
