Coming Forward
If you have witnessed a crime, you may have doubts about reporting the incident. You may well be feeling upset, angry or confused, unsure who you should speak to. Please feel assured that those feelings are normal and that there are many support agencies available that can help you through this difficult process.
Reporting what you know
You may have information you think the police should know, or have information you think they need, but you may not be sure what will happen if you contact them. Alternatively, you may not want to get involved in the matter, particularly if you know that there are other witnesses who can report the crime. Even if this is the case and there are other witnesses, what you have witnessed may still help, as the police need as much information as possible.
Don't worry if you decide not to report what you know about a crime to the police at the time it happened. You can tell them what you know at a later date. They will always be grateful for the information.
If you do decide to report what you know to the police, please be assured that they will be sensitive to your concerns.
Your concerns
You may have concerns about coming forward and reporting what you know to the police such as:
The police will not be interested in the crime. It is very important to report all crimes, because if the police do not know where the crimes are happening, they cannot take any action to prevent further incidents or catch the person responsible.
The crime is too trivial. You may think that there is no point reporting what you know because the crime does not seem serious. No crime is too trivial to report and the police will take you and all reports seriously. Please bear in mind that what may seem like a minor crime to you, may not seem like a minor crime to the victim. Even crimes that do not appear to have victims, like vandalism or graffiti, can have a negative effect on your community.
Being afraid to giving evidence in court. If the suspect is caught and pleads guilty, the case may not go to trial, so you would not have to give evidence in this case. Similarly, if it does go to trial and the prosecution has a strong case, the suspect's solicitor may advise them to plead guilty, so you would not need to go to court as no evidence would need to be heard.
If you do have to give evidence, the Witness Service, which is run by Victim Support NI, or if you are under 18 years old, the Young Witness Service, which is run by the NSPCC, will be there to help and support you before, during and after your time at court. There are also a range of 'special measures' that can assist vulnerable or intimidated witnesses give evidence in court. If you have concerns about giving evidence or would like to know more about special measures, you may want to visit the 'Going to Court' section of this walkthrough.
Witness intimidation. It is a criminal offence to intimidate a witness or anyone helping the police in an investigation. If you are harassed or threatened in any way before, during or after court proceedings, you should tell the police immediately. The police can offer a variety of measures to ensure your safety and they will take every step to ensure that no harm comes to you or your family throughout the process.