Victim Support
Free, nationwide support for people affected by crime, suicide and traumatic events.
We are here for you, 24/7.
We are committed to assisting all victims of crime, suicide and traumatic events, to empower them to be safe, heal, and participate at every step of their journey. You can contact us with confidence - we want you to feel safe and supported.
Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support helps people affected by crime, suicide and traumatic events in every corner of Aotearoa New Zealand.
We are an independent charity providing free and confidential 24/7 support – it doesn’t matter if the crime has been reported or how long ago it happened.
Anyone can find themselves a victim of crime or affected by suicide or a traumatic event. These events can impact people in many ways – emotionally, physically, financially, socially and psychologically.
No one has to cope alone, which is why Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support is here to provide emotional and practical support, information, advocacy, and support to navigate the justice system.
Manaaki Tāngata | Victim Support is here for everyone affected by crime, suicide and traumatic events in Aotearoa New Zealand including:
People directly affected by a crime or incident
Members of their family or whānau
Witnesses of an incident or the first person on the scene
Support people helping a friend or family or whānau member through the justice process
Life can feel like it’s been turned upside down after crime, suicide or traumatic event. We’re here to support and empower you to feel in control again. This is how we can help:
We’re someone unbiased who you can talk to. We’ll listen and help you cope through crime, trauma, and loss.
We’ll help you understand your rights, provide information, and support you to make informed choices.
We’ll help you access financial assistance if you're an eligible victim of serious crime.
We’ll guide you with safety planning for you and your family or whānau, your house and your property.
We’ll explain the justice system and help you navigate each step, including supporting you at court and family group or restorative justice conferences, and helping to prepare Victim Impact Statements.
We’ll help you liaise with police, courts and other government agencies, and help you access local support services and counselling to suit your situation.
When you call our friendly Contact Service staff will ask you for contact information and some basic details about your situation so they can connect you with the support you need. They will then arrange for a Support Worker in your area to get in touch with you.
Our Support Workers come from all walks of life, just like the people we support. What makes our Support Workers special is that they are not counsellors or social workers. They are everyday people who have been highly trained to meet victims’ needs with both heart and professionalism.
Your Support Worker can help you where and when you need it - it may be immediate crisis support or regular check-ins during your recovery. This could be in your home, at a police station or other safe place, or over the phone. They can provide support for you individually, or as a family or group.
Our clients tell us it makes a difference having someone outside their own network, who is non-clinical yet knowledgeable, empathetic yet practical, and who understands the journey through crime, suicide and traumatic events.
To live up to our promises, we are guided by the Victims Code of Rights.
To be available 24/7 to help you as you deal with the aftermath of crime, trauma, and loss. To make sure you get the help that you need to be safe, to heal, and to participate in the justice system.
We’re here to help you make informed, supported, and empowered decisions, not to make decisions for you.
Everything you tell us is confidential, unless we think there’s a risk to your immediate physical safety, or the immediate safety of someone else.
We’ll do all we can to make sure that you are safe, at the time of crisis and afterwards.
If we say we’ll do something with or for you, we will do it.
If we give you information or advice about your situation, we’ll make sure it’s helpful, neutral, clear, up to date, and accurate. If there is information we don’t know, we will do our best to find out.
We’ll always respect you, your family, whānau, and friends, what’s important to you, your culture, beliefs, identity, and values. We will not judge you. We will support you.
You do not have to pay anything to use our services.
Boundaries help to keep everyone safe and respected.
