Video Links In Youth Courts To Protect Child Witnesses
14 Oct 2004
Child victims and witnesses in 85 youth courts across England and Wales will no longer have to appear in person to give evidence, but will be able to do so via video link, Courts Minister Christopher Leslie said today.
Mr Leslie was speaking at the Victims Support Unit (VSU) in Leicester where he launched the latest video link, and the first to be located in a separate building to the court.
The Leicester launch brings to a close a year-long project to install video links in youth courts.
The £2.6 million youth court project - funded by the Youth Justice Board - encourages young victims and witnesses to attend court to give evidence, especially in cases involving violence. The project aims to link a Victims and Intimidated Witnesses (VIW) room nominated by the local Magistrates' Courts Committee to the magistrates' youth court.
Mr Leslie said:
"The Criminal Justice System needs to look after victims and witnesses who are central to the whole court process; often a successful conviction will hinge on individuals who have suffered at the hands of criminals.
"This video link and the others in youth courts will protect vulnerable children from facing defendants in court. They will help witnesses who may previously have been afraid to attend court to give evidence, especially in cases where there has been intimidation or violence.
"The installation of video links in the 85 youth courts demonstrates the government's ongoing commitment to local justice, and measures taken to improve public confidence in the Criminal Justice System (CJS). It also highlights the efforts of the Magistrates' Courts Committees and CJS agencies to continue to work together to improve delivery of local service."
The completion of the youth court video link project means that two-thirds of the 369 magistrates' courts in England and Wales now have VIW links. By 2005, three in four are expected to have had the links installed.
The Area Director for Victim Support Leicestershire and Rutland, Mick Studley, said:
"The response we have had from other criminal justice agencies such as the Crown Prosecution Service, the police and the Crown and magistrates' courts has been very positive. They see it as a great facility."
Janet Meek, head of the trials unit at the Crown Prosecution Service in Leicester, said:
"We are delighted that Victim Support has the funding for a remote video and TV link to the magistrates' court in Leicester. There are many witnesses who refuse to give evidence because they have been intimidated or are frightened of bumping into the defendant, their family and friends. This facility will allow victims and their families to attend a venue away from the court, which is comfortable and friendly".