What is a victim impact statement?

You have the right to choose to make a victim impact statement to tell the court about how the crime has affected you. Your statement may include medical reports, photographs or drawings if you wish. Your immediate family members can also choose to make a statement.

Making a victim impact statement is your choice. You don’t have to write one, and choosing not to does not  mean the judge will think the crime did not harm you.

Your Victim Liaison Officer can tell you how to find help to prepare your statement.

What information to include

You might want to write about:

The statement should focus on how you were affected, rather than details of the crime itself. If you mention medical conditions linked to the crime, you may be asked to provide supporting medical documents.

Some information cannot be included, such as:

The prosecutor will review your statement and will let you know if anything needs to be removed.

How to provide your victim impact statement

Your statement should be in your own words and can be as long or short as you wish. You can write it by hand or type it, and someone may help you if needed. Once finished, you will need to sign and date it. Your investigating officer or Victim Liaison Officer will explain when it is needed.

You can choose to read the statement yourself—in person, by video or by phone—or you can choose to have it presented to the court for you by the prosecutor.

Who will see my written victim impact statement?

You should be aware that the prosecutor or judge may talk about your statement in court. This means that people in the courtroom, including potentially media, might hear parts of it.

You can find out more about how to make a victim impact statement.