It can restore public confidence in the criminal justice system, prevent re-offending and it can keep victims from offending in response to the harm inflicted on them. It is a necessary addition to the roles and responsibilities of all the agencies involved. The Victim Assistance Programme Toolkit of Business Against Crime Gauteng, South Africa, seeks to provide victim support through victim empowerment, which aims to make it possible for victims of crime or violence to heal and move on with the least possible harm or loss. Victim empowerment contributes to a process of restorative justice by entrenching internationally accepted basic victims' rights as agreed by the United Nations. The toolkit ensures an integrated service and an accessible victim empowerment framework.
Victim support is community based, independent, free and confidential.
It provides general assistance, physical, emotional, practical and financial. Victim support services require that key people are involved, that people are prepared and well trained for the task and that sufficient resources are mobilised. All government departments involved in crime, violence and safety issues have a role to play in empowering victims. This tool has been applied to Johannesburg, South Africa. The Safer Cities Co-ordinator stimulates, supports and promotes the implementation of the Safer Cities project and approach.