Booklet to help relatives of murder victims

Families of murder victims are to be supplied with a bereavement pack to help them deal with their loss and understand the criminal justice system.

The new booklet is being launched as part of European Victim's Week.

The pack includes information to assist families and friends of murder victims, and a practical guide to the Criminal Justice process.

The number of murders here has increased by 160% in the past decade, with 60 people killed unlawfully last year.

Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, has welcomed the new pack.

"Those of us involved in the investigation of violent crime appreciate that, like ripples forming when a pebble is dropped into a pond, the effects of a violent death are far reaching, touching many people and not just the immediate family members," she said.

"Having witnessed the anguish of those affected, it is heartening to know that someone, and not just a faceless organisation, is there to help support them through the grieving and legal processes."