FG calls for statutory charter to support victim of crimes

FINE GAEL has called for the Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime to be set up on a permanent, statutory basis, to introduce and annually update a charter of rights for victims.

Speaking after his party's weekend convention on victims' rights, Dublin South TD Alan Shatter said a statutory charter was not a knee-jerk reaction to rising crime levels.

"We did discuss the need to tackle the gangland killings and want to see the gardaí respond in the way they did after the killing of Veronica Guerin, but that wouldn't need new legislation, just a full use of resources," Mr Shatter said.

Mr Shatter said the commission would be necessary "to pull together" facilities and resources for victims which were not always available as they were not defined on a statutory basis.

Mr Shatter said a worrying amount of rape cases, for example, featured a victim being driven "from one hospital to another by gardaí" in search of a doctor with the facilities to take forensic tests.

"The service is provided but some weekends it might not be available from the hospital where the gardaí arrive and the victim is transported around the city . . . without being even able to change clothes".

Mr Shatter said a victim's charter would put the right to such services on a statutory footing, along with the rights to be informed about the progress of an investigation, to make a victim impact statement and to be informed about any appeal or bail granted to the alleged perpetrator.

Mr Shatter, who is the only Opposition TD to have had a private member's Bill taken on board by government, said there was much work for the commission to do in drafting such a charter.

The commission was due to expire at the end of last month, but it has been extended on a temporary basis by the Government. "It needs to be a permanent, statutory institution," said Mr Shatter.

Fine Gael deputy leader Richard Bruton said it was "exactly two years since [Michael McDowell] had declared that the tragic death of Donna Cleary would be a watershed."

"The new taoiseach needs to immediately prioritise the eradication of killings, weapons and drugs on our streets," he said.