WATCH: Victims support facility to bring hope, comfort to survivors
The victim friendly room will enable victims of crime to make their statement in private and give them access to support services.
HOPING to provide a safe space and become a beacon of hope for victims of crimes, the Brighton Beach police held an official opening of its Victim Friendly Facility at the station and introduced the new Victim Support Unit on August 9.
Captain Louise Le Roux, Brighton Beach police spokesperson, said the facility will enable partners in policing to facilitate access to a range of services for all people who have endured trauma or harm through acts of violence and crime.
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“Partnerships have been established with multiple stakeholders who provide victim support services. These partnerships will contribute towards the objective of the victim friendly room, of which is to strive towards service excellence when engaging victims of crime within the Brighton Beach policing precinct,” she said.
Le Roux said the victim friendly room will be manned by trained volunteers on a 24 hour standby call system with prompt response when deployed.
“These volunteers will provide a professional, accessible and sensitive service to victims of crime and violence when reporting criminal matters. The victim friendly room will provide an opportunity for victims to make their statement in private, in a non-threatening environment, while accessing victim support service,” she said.
Chantal Bransgrove-Bower, Brighton Beach Victim Friendly Support Unit coordinator, said their goal is to provide victim friendly services that protect the rights and dignity of victims, and help empower them to be survivors.
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Bransgrove-Bower said as a non-profit, they relied on donations of items to help those in need.
“We want to be able to help the victims with some basic items when they come, as many walk out of homes with nothing but the clothes on their back,” she said.
Donations include toys, crayons, colouring books, books for children aged six and over, as well as picture books for younger children, and a large toy storage box. Personal items such as sanitary pads, tampons, wet wipes, hair brushes, tooth brushes, toothpaste and all sizes of disposable underwear are also needed.
Anyone who would like to donate can contact Bransgrove-Bower on 083 734 2841.
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