A scheme that helps victims in court is being expanded, writes JO_MARIE BROWN.
The long walk into a courthouse to face your attacker and see him or her brought to justice can be more daunting than having experienced the crime itself.
The imposing escalators that greet you at the Auckland District Court lead to an area which, at times, can be pure chaos.
The grubby and graffiti-covered hallways are full of people trying to figure out where they are supposed to be. Some know. Others do not care.
Toddlers cry impatiently or play games among the rows of chairs, and the smell of stale cigarettes lingers in the air.
A few sheets of paper stapled inside a carpeted wall cabinet, listing hundreds of names in tiny print, are the sole guide to deciphering what case is being heard in which courtroom.
"The whole experience can be very disempowering," says Jane Campbell, a victim adviser employed by the Department for Courts. She is there to offer victims support when that traumatic court appearance arrives.
"Once again, the victim is caught up in a process that they feel they have little control over, and that can be quite frightening. What we attempt to do is minimise that powerlessness."
The success of the 7-year-old Court Services for Victims scheme, which operates at 14 courts, will see the service expanded nationwide next February.
Over 800 applications have been received for 33 new adviser positions, which Ms Campbell said reflected an acknowledgment in society that victims have rights and should be heard.
The job is tough and requires an extensive knowledge of the criminal justice system and a background in working with victims - or "victimology" as Ms Campbell prefers to call it.
Ms Campbell, one of three advisers at the Auckland District Court, said most victims would never have been exposed to a court before and many had preconceived fears.
Decades of television court drama had led people to believe that witnesses were torn to shreds on the stand.
"They're scared of testifying because they've seen programmes on television where the defence lawyer comes up and yells and screams at witnesses," Ms Campbell said.
"It's that kind of misinformation that we try to correct, in that defence lawyers stay at their benches and the judge controls them."
Advisers often conducted familiarisation tours for victims who were nervous about being in a courtroom or testifying, she said.
"We'll take them through an empty courtroom before the case starts and explain who's going to be speaking and who sits where, just so they can get their bearings. If they're fully versed on what's going on, then that often allays a lot of their fears."
The advisers contacted up to 200 new victims a month to discuss what help they might need, Ms Campbell said.
"Often it's just a matter of sitting with them at the back of the court and explaining what's going on. Many come across on the phone as being really staunch but they still want a contact person at the court who is looking out for them."
Advisers, she said, were not counsellors but did put victims in touch with agencies such as Rape Crisis and Women's Refuge if they need further help. "Everyone has different needs. Some are quite intimidated by just walking in the building, so we arrange to meet them outside and walk in with them."
For others, Ms Campbell said, striding into a courtroom was a way of regaining control - a feeling that victim advisers strived to inspire.
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