Kent

Phone

0808 168 9276

If you’ve been affected by crime, call your local victim care team in Kent. Lines are open 8am-8pm, Monday to Friday.

Supportline

08 08 16 89 111

If you need support outside of your local team’s opening hours, you can call our Supportline for free. Or find other ways to get help.

Get help from your local team

Call us

If you’ve been affected by crime, call your local victim care team in Kent on 0808 168 9276. Lines are open 8am-8pm, Monday to Friday.

If you need telephone support outside of your local team’s opening hours, you can call our Supportline, for free, on 08 08 16 89 111. Supportline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Go online

Our free live chat support service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You can also request support via the website. A member of the team will get back to you within three working days.

My Support Space is a free online resource containing interactive guides aimed at helping you to manage the impact crime has had on you. It’s easy to set up an account and get access to over 70 guides. My Support Space allows you to work through the guides at your own pace.

We give free, confidential help to people who have been affected by crime in Kent. We’re an independent charity and you can contact us for support regardless of whether you’ve contacted the police, and no matter how long ago the crime took place. You can also contact us for support regardless of your immigration status in England and Wales.

If you call your local Victim Support team, we’ll provide support that’s personalised to you. We’ll listen with compassion and help you find ways to manage and feel safer. We can also inform you of your rights and the services that you may be entitled to. If you’d like us to, we can refer you to other specialist organisations that can also help.

One of the people we’ve helped to cope after crime is Trixie (not her real name), who was assaulted and raped by a man on her journey home.

“I was travelling on a train at around 10pm after playing a rugby match. The train was quite empty; there was a man on the same train. I didn’t take much notice of him at the time. I got off the train at my stop, and he also got off. He looked ill and told me that he didn’t feel well. I went over to him to see if there was anything I could do to help, as I do not like the thought of not helping people in need. On the deserted platform, I was alone with this man. He then grabbed me, dragged me to the end of the platform and viciously attacked and raped me. This ordeal went on for 30 minutes. I remember the trains passing through the station. I was thinking, ‘Surely these people can see what is happening to me?’

“It was the worst experience of my life. I had one chance to escape when he was distracted by a train pulling into the station. He told me he was going to throw me onto the tracks, so I knew I had to get away. I ran without my trainers on up to a lady, who called for the police. I was very badly injured. The police came and arrested the man.

“I then went through the experience of the police gathering evidence from me. I felt numb. I gave my video statement, still not believing what had happened to me and how this had affected my life. The attack has left me with injuries including now being profoundly deaf. For weeks I felt so sad, numb and wanted to end my life.

“I was referred to Victim Support, who made contact with me. It was the first time someone was there for me, listening to me and being so understanding. I was able to talk about the event but also, I was able to ask the questions I had; the human one to one interaction was just what I needed. I was able to talk to my support worker about anything I wanted to, even the little things, like what I was going to wear to court, was I reacting normally to what had happened to me. I was able to express myself as a person and how I felt, and also how I was going to feel for the next few months before the trial. I didn’t feel like a piece of evidence anymore. I knew someone was there for me, and understood what I was going through, reliving it over and over again.

“If it wasn’t for Victim Support, I can honestly say I would not be here now, I had considered ending it all so many times. I felt so isolated and cut off from the rest of the world. I didn’t know how to cope sometimes, and would do things that I wouldn’t have done before, ignoring the consequences, as I just felt like I was in a bubble.

“He has taken my hearing and my life as I knew it. I felt like damaged goods, and can’t function how I used to. My whole life has changed and it is going to take so long to get my life back.

“Although I have a long journey ahead and it will never go away, together with Victim Support I have been given the opportunity and support to have my voice heard, which was taken away on that night. This has made me a stronger person and even at my weakest times, there was always someone there to show me something positive.

“I wanted to tell my story, as no matter how big or small a crime may seem, the trauma will affect everybody differently and Victim Support will be there to show you the way to accept, adapt and express your emotions and how it has affected your life, moving toward the future.”

We work with a number of partner organisations in Kent to make sure you get the support you need. Find out more about some of the services and organisations we work with.

Please note, Victim Support is not responsible for the content of third-party websites.

  • Kent County Council Gateways – gateways provide access to a range of public and voluntary services.
  • Kent Domestic Abuse Services – we work in partnership with many domestic abuse specialists across the county.
  • Kent Fire and Rescue Service – working to save lives and reduce risks.
  • Kent Police
  • Kent Police and Crime Commissioner
  • Kent Prepared  – organisations and agencies who work together to improve the resilience of Kent and Medway, and to ensure a coordinated response to emergencies that could have a significant impact on communities.
  • CARM – supporting older people and vulnerable people on Romney Marsh and rural Ashford.
  • Choice Support – supporting people with learning difficulties, autism and mental health needs.
  • CRUSE face to face and group support for the bereaved.
  • D-A-S-H – advice and links to support services in Kent alongside safety planning and guidance for victims of domestic violence.
  • Family Matters – counselling service for children and adult survivors of sexual abuse and rape
  • Rubicon Cares – counselling for victims of serious crime in Kent and Medway.