The British Government tonight faced growing demands to release more information about Jon Venables’s return to prison – led by victims’ rights champion Helen Newlove.

IT is more than 20 months since the Department of Justice withdrew funding from Ireland’s national missing persons helpline, run by Victim Support, but there has been no sign of a replacement service.

A special missing persons unit should be set up to trace the thousands of people who vanish each year, it was claimed today.

FORENSIC experts yesterday continued the painstaking search for clues to the London bombers.

It is an ill-considered move to leave Victim Support in the financial limbo the organisation will find itself in when State funding ceases at the end of this month.

SUPPORT services for victims of crime look set for a major shakeup with the announcement last night of an expert body to sort out the troubled area.

FAMILIES of murdered victims can be very badly affected by having to wait until the bodies of their loved ones are released into their care by the authorities.

ONE year after an innovative and ambitious campaign promised to crack down on street crime in Waterford, Victim Support has expressed “serious concern” about the number of violent assaults in the city.

FORMER Victim Support chief executive Lillian McGovern said she was satisfied with a last-minute settlement reached in her employment appeals claim.

NINE Victim Support board members have already resigned from the troubled organisation because of the alleged bullying and aggression of one member, it emerged yesterday.

IRELAND’S leading support group for victims of crime is in crisis after the resignation of two-thirds of its board last night.

THE two sides in a constructive dismissal case taken by a high-profile victims’ campaigner totally disagree about the events leading up to her leaving, an employment tribunal heard yesterday.

A HIGH-PROFILE advocate for crime victims is taking action against her former employer, claiming she was subjected to a campaign of bullying and harassment and forced out of her job.

THE collapse of the court trials because of suspected intimidation has contributed to calls for dedicated officers to be assigned to protect witnesses.

THE Oireachtas Justice Committee is to publish their plans for tackling gangland crime and reforming the criminal justice system by the end of the month.

The Victim Support organisation has reported a 30% increase in the number of people using its service for trial witnesses last year.

Legislation is being introduced to clamp down on Ireland’s gangland culture and improve the criminal justice system, it was announced today.

PROBATION and welfare officers, already struggling to cope, are to have their budget cut by a further 8% next year, the Oireachtas heard yesterday.

THE Law Reform Commission is to recommend sweeping changes to criminal law allowing victims of ongoing domestic violence plea provocation as a partial defence to murder.

The number of violent crimes against young people reported to Victim Support doubled in the first half of this year, according to figures released by the organisation.

THE huge burden faced by relatives of murder victims could be eased greatly if radical proposals for the overhaul of the criminal courts system are introduced, a leading pressure group claimed last night.

FOR the second time in a week, the Director of Public Prosecutions is mired in controversy over his failure to explain why no prosecution was instituted in a case now causing widespread public concern.

A JUNIOR minister’s vow to shepherd through legislation that will give victims a key role when it comes to the early release of prisoners was met with confusion last night.

RELATIVES of murder victims must be given an opportunity to speak at the conclusion of trials, a support group urged yesterday.

THE condition of the Italian student brutally attacked while playing football in a Dublin park almost four years ago has deteriorated.

ALMOST 300 serious crimes were committed every day last year — 55 more daily than in 2001.

FAMILIES of murder victims will receive a bereavement pack to help them deal with the traumatic loss of a loved one in violent circumstances.

YOUNG men between the ages of 17-25 are most likely to be assaulted, according to new figures from Victim Support.

CRIME victims have called for money obtained by the Criminal Assets Bureau to be directed into projects to support innocent victims.

BEHIND the daily headlines of violent crime, all too often the victims and their families tend to be forgotten.

FAMILIES and friends of the estimated 1,800 people who go missing here every year can now reach for the phone for help and support.

A new helpline is being set up to provide information and support to the families of missing persons.

MORE than 30 people a day are assaulted in drink-related street violence, new Garda figures show.

THE Government is to seek legal advise from the Attorney General on whether the Justice Minister can pass the decision on the future of convicted killer Malcolm Macarthur to a Cabinet colleague.

The number of assaults and personal attacks increased during the first half of this year, according to Victim Support.

Irish holidaymakers jetting off to the sun this summer will benefit from new rights if they are the victims of crime while travelling within the EU.

Victims of crime are looking for a pledge from political parties to reintroduce compensation for criminal injuries.