Increase in number of people seeking support from Crime Victims Helpline

Over 4,455 contacts were made to the Crime Victims Helpline from people seeking support and information in 2017.

The number of phone calls, emails, texts and post received by the helpline has increased on the year previous, according to its 2017 Annual Report released today.

The helpline received 1886 incoming calls which saw a 10% increase on the number of calls received in 2016.

Executive Director, Michele Puckhaber, said:

“We are very grateful that more and more people are finding their way to our service. The Crime Victims Helpline is a safe space to talk, ask questions, and explore options not only for victims, but anyone who has been impacted by crime. Nobody should suffer alone or in silence.”

Similar to previous years, the most common crimes that service users were impacted by in 2017 were assault (31%), harassment (24%) and burglary (12%).

In contrast to previous years, the Helpline heard from many more people regarding sexual assault and domestic violence.

The Helpline saw an increase in the number of people contacting the service due to domestic violence-related crimes.

The number of people contacting the service due to rape or sexual assault more than doubled.

Ms Puckhaber remarked regarding the increase:

“We think a number of factors contributed to this change, such as the #metoo movement and Cosc’s domestic violence awareness campaign, and it highlights how important it is that services work together. There is no wrong door for seeking help.

The entire 2017 Annual Report can be viewed on the Crime Victims Helpline website.

The Crime Victims Helpline can be contacted on freephone 116 006; by texting 085 133 7711 or emailing [e-mail].