Archive Website of the UK government

Getting help after the trial

A witness care officer should tell you the result of the trial within a day of getting the outcome. They should also explain what the result means.

The effects of a crime can last a long time after a trial. You can still need help and support from Victim Support. Find out how to get extra help using the link below.

• Victim Support: after a trial Opens new window

If an offender tries to contact you from prison

If you get unwanted letters or phone calls from the prisoner you can phone the National Offender Management Service Victim helpline on 0845 7585 112.

You can also use this number if you are worried about being contacted by the offender.

The staff at the helpline will let the prison governor know about your call. The prison governor will look into your concerns and decide if they need to take any action against the prisoner. This could involve monitoring a prisoner’s letters and phone calls.

When the offender is let out of prison

Offenders who spend part of their sentence in the community on 'licence' after coming out of jail are supervised by probation officers. The licence will include conditions on their behaviour.

If the offender tries to contact you, they may break the terms of their release and be sent back to prison. Phone the police if you are contacted by the offender.

• Find a police force, neighbourhood policing team or police authority

Protection if you're a victim of violent or sexual crime

If you are a victim of a violent or sexual crime, you can get protection if:

• the offender serves a sentence of a year or more
• the offender has been detained as a mental health patient

After the trial you will be put in touch with a victim liaison officer at the Probation Service. The officer will keep you updated on the offender’s sentence. They will also let you know the month when the offender will be released.

The victim liaison officer will ask you if you have any concerns about the release of the offender. You can put your concerns into a victim statement which goes to the Parole Board. This organisation decides if it’s safe to release dangerous prisoners.

The Parole Board will take your concerns into account when making their decision. They will also consider the risk to you if the prisoner is released.

You can ask the victim liaison officer to help you write the victim statement. In the statement you can ask for conditions to be added to the release of the offender, to protect you and your family. These could include:

• an exclusion zone around where you live
• a condition forbidding the offender from contacting you