Volunteers help traumatized witnesses and victims navigate court
A network of 120+ unpaid volunteers supports witnesses and victims through traumatic trials, helping them understand court procedures.
Jennifer, a 72-year-old retired speech therapist, spends two days a week at Newcastle courthouse helping prosecution witnesses and victims prepare for trial. When a young woman on a sexual assault trial case spots the defendant and becomes distressed, Jennifer moves her to a quiet corner and explains court formalities using a simple diagram.
Jennifer shows where the judge, lawyers and defendant sit, and teaches her how to take an oath. Jennifer reassures her that crying on the stand is normal.
Jennifer has never been paid. She volunteers for Victims and Witnesses of Crime Court Support (VWCCS), an independent organisation staffed almost entirely by volunteers, which operates at courts across Sydney and Newcastle with more than 120 volunteers.
A similar program, Court Network, has about 250 unpaid volunteers in Victoria supporting nearly 78,000 court users annually. Witnesses sometimes vomit while testifying; volunteers stand ready with a bin.
Why it mattersWitnesses and victims are often severely traumatized by court; without volunteer support officers, many would face the stand alone and unguided through a terrifying process.
AustraliaThousands of Australians testifying in NSW and Victorian courts rely on unpaid volunteers to help them survive the ordeal, filling a gap no government system currently funds.
Corroborated bytheage.com.au·watoday.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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