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Journey through the criminal justice system

If you've been a victim of crime, you may choose to report what has happened to the police. This will be the start of your journey into the criminal justice system, which can be a very daunting and confusing place.

The flowchart on this page shows you the different ways you can progress through the criminal justice system, and where your journey may come to an end.

You can also:

A journey through the criminal justice system

Get help and support whenever you need it

Remember: you can get support to help you cope and recover from what has happened to you, regardless of whether you have reported the crime to police or when the crime took place.

Some people need help as soon as they report the crime, others need support during the court process - especially if a not guilty verdict is returned against the person they think committed the crime against them. Other people don't ask for help until years after the crime happened to them.

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