The Upper Bann Ulster Unionist MLA, Doug Beattie MC, has welcomed the news that the Justice Minister is to consider appointing a general victims commissioner, as is the case in England and Wales.
Doug Beattie MC MLA said:
“The idea of appointing a separate ‘Victims of Crime Commissioner’ is one which I fully support, and have previously raised in the Assembly’s Justice Committee, via Assembly Questions and indeed the Ulster Unionist Party has also tabled a motion calling for the appointment of one.
“I am therefore glad to see that the Justice Minister is now giving this idea the serious consideration which it merits, and I know that it will be supported by many victims of crime - between June 2019 and May 2020, there were 102,521 crimes recorded in Northern Ireland – who do not fall under the remit of the existing Victims’ Commissioner, who is tasked solely with looking at Troubles related crime.
“England and Wales have a ‘Victims of Crime Commissioner’ to support victims of crime and it is high time that we had the same provision in Northern Ireland.”