Victim Support Online
Victim Support Online (www.victimsupport.org.mt) is a partnership between two local NGOs; SOS Malta and Victim Support Malta. It was awarded funding from the Fund for Voluntary Organisations, an initiative developed by the Malta Community Chest Fund which focuses on supporting projects with a social aim which will benefit society as a whole.
Each year there are thousands of crimes which are reported, whilst it is estimated that there are another 50% of crimes which go unreported for various reasons. This may be due to the victim perceiving the act as non-criminal and/or the victim not wishing to deal with effects of the specific crime. Nonetheless victims of crime still experience several consequences from the criminal act against them including; depression, isolation, fear and damage to property. These unwanted consequences from being a victim of a specific crime can lead to social exclusion. However, the needs of individuals who have been victimised differ in each case and each individual needs different interventions to cater for his/her needs. As such we have opened up the avenue of online support as a potential means to encourage more victims of crime to seek support in a confidential and anonymous manner.
In accordance with the 2012/29 EU Directive on Victims’ Rights, Victim Support Online shall aid in supporting victims of crime and directing them towards information which is relevant to their specific case; be it practical information or legal advice whilst also information regarding the services which could provide tailored support to the service user. The service will provide instant and anonymous support, something which the local scene is currently not providing to the general public. The Victim Online Support webpage will provide such a service and will be an easy to reach informational hub for victims of crime.
The aims of the project are:
- To help raise awareness about the rights of individuals who have been victimised by a specific crime.
- To provide instant and anonymous online support to service users who have been victimised by a specific crime.
- To fulfil the obligations set out in the EU Directive 2012/29
Victim Support Online will provide a Chat Service with trained volunteers and professionals which will operate 4 times a week for 2 hours each time being Mondays and Wednesdays from 5.30-7.30pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 9.00-11.00am. Whilst the chat is not open there will be an email service available and emails will be responded to at the earliest possible moment.
Additionally, users will be able to access a range of online information regarding their rights and possibilities for support through the FAQs section of the website.
This Project is part-financed by Malta Community Chest Fund