Q: What is a Victim Impact Statement?

A: A written statement of the impact of crime.

Section 722 of the Criminal Code provides victims of crime with an opportunity to describe in writing to the Court how the crime has affected their lives.

Victim Impact Statements are not new. Since 1986, Victim Impact Statements have been present in Canada in some form. In 1988, Canada’s Criminal Code provided the opportunity for victims of crime to present a Victim Impact Statement of how they had been affected by the crime. In Alberta, the Victim Impact Statement program was introduced in 1991. In 1992, the Victim Impact Statement program went Province-wide. Police and Victim Services Units provided information to victims about the Victim Impact Statement program.

A Victim Impact Statement is a written statement in the victim’s own words that describe how the victim’s life has been affected, and what physical or emotional losses or impact have been experienced as a result of the offence.

Some victims of crime feel as if their privacy and sense of personal security have been taken from them. They may find themselves unable to trust others and afraid that the crime will reoccur. They may have difficulty sleeping and eating. They may experience anxiety and fear. You may experience some or all of these feelings in the days and weeks after the incident. All these feelings are natural and normal, and will usually pass in time. You cannot be blamed when someone else breaks the law. It is not your fault.

Preparation of a Victim Impact Statement is optional and voluntary. Victims must be informed of the opportunity to prepare a Victim Impact Statement, but it is solely the victim’s choice whether or not to prepare one.

There are two purposes for a Victim Impact Statement:
To provide a victim with an opportunity to state how his or her life has been affected by the crime, and any physical and emotional loss experienced as a result of the crime.
To assist the Court and the offender to understand how the crime has affected the victim’s life.

Victim Services’ role in the Victim Impact Statement process:

Provide victims with Victim Impact Statement information, assistance and the Victim Impact Statement package.
Follow up with victims of serious crime to ensure they are aware of the opportunity to prepare a Victim Impact Statement, and to explain what kind of information is appropriate to include in the Victim Impact Statement.
Ensure that a victim’s intent to prepare a Victim Impact Statement is communicated to Court services and Crown after charges have been laid.
Inform victims of relevant court dates and locations.
As appropriate, provide information to community agencies or a victim’s relatives or friends, to help them assist a victim of crime to prepare a Victim Impact Statement.

Use after sentencing:

If the offender is sentenced to probation of jail, the Victim Impact Statement is provided to provincial or federal correctional authorities and the National Parole board. The victim may also be able to read the Victim Impact Statement at National Parole Board hearings. Victims need to be aware that the Victim Impact Statement will be forwarded to the appropriate authorities after sentencing. If a Victim Impact Statement is not considered by the Judge 9for example, if there is a verdict of “not guilty”), the Victim Impact Statement remains in its sealed envelope.

When asked which aspect of the Victim Impact Statement program they considered most helpful, victims indicated that the most helpful aspect was to be given the opportunity to talk with someone about the offence and its effects, and to have this information conveyed to the Court, to be given useful information about the case and to have the opportunity to contact someone in the event of a problem arising.

A Justice Canada summary of evaluation findings stated that, “an overwhelming majority of victims found the experience of completing a Victim Impact Statement to be positive and they would participate again if victimized. Completing a statement appears to result in an increase in the victim’s belief that their views are of interest in the criminal justice system.”

Red Deer Rural Victim Services
Coordinator – Michele Lodewyk
403.343.5504

Innisfail Victim Services
Coordinator – Lauren Davies
403.227.3342

Sylvan Lake and District Victim Services
Coordinator – Sonya Henderson
403.887.3334