Victims Rights Act 2002, ss 29, 34-38
A victim of a “specified offence” can apply to be on the victim notification register. A “specified offence” under the Victims Rights Act is an offence:
of a sexual nature or a serious assault
that resulted in serious injury to a person, the death of a person or the person becoming “incapable”. “Incapable” means someone who lacks the ability to communicate or understand the consequences of their decisions and actions.
of another kind, that has led to you having ongoing fears, on reasonable grounds, for your physical safety or security, or for the physical safety or security of your immediate family.
Victims on the victim notification register will get notifications about the person who offended against them. Victims can apply at any stage after an offender has been charged by asking their local police station or contacting Victim Support. For more information on Victim Support and their services, see “Where to go for more support” at the end of this chapter.
A victim can nominate a representative to get information on their behalf. If a victim no longer wants to get information about the offender, they can close their registration at any time. The type of notification victims can receive will be information about when an offender is on home detention, in prison or on parole. For more information, go to www.corections.govt.nz and search “victim notification register”.