Lots of young people tell us that they haven’t reported a crime because they didn’t trust the police or the court system to help them and keep them safe.
You may be worried that:
You won’t get any support
Although You&Co will support you whether you report the crime or not, the police are only likely to offer support if the crime is officially reported. Once you do report the crime, you will automatically be referred to Victim Support and You & Co for support, and other agencies will be there to help you too.
You won’t be believed
Sometimes it’s difficult to explain what happened to you, and how it happened; and if you can’t explain it properly, or you can’t prove it, then you might be worried that the police just won’t believe what you say. You can talk to a trusted adult or an organisation like You&Co who can help you plan what to say to the police and report it.
You may get hurt for being a grass
It’s bad enough being a victim of crime, but if you report it then some people you think of as friends might turn against you, other people might call you a ‘grass’, and the person who committed the crime – or their friends or family – might try to scare you, threaten you or hurt you. If you tell the police that you are frightened of being hurt they will help keep you safe. You can even report a crime anonymously to fearless.org.uk so that the police don’t know that you have been involved.
Even if you report it – nothing will happen
It might be your word against someone else’s, or the police may not be able to complete an investigation because there is not enough information. However, you might have some information that means the police can do something about it.
If it went to court, you don’t think you could give evidence
There is lots of support for young victims who give evidence in court. The interactive courtroom shows you what this support looks like.
It goes to court, but they get found not guilty?
No-one can predict the outcome of an investigation or trial. However, if there is a not guilty verdict it doesn’t mean that people don’t believe you just that there wasn’t enough evidence. Some young people tell us that even when there is a not guilty verdict, they are still pleased that they went to court because people had to listen to their side of the story. You will still get support from the police and organisations like You & Co through the whole process and even after the trial.