If you're a witness to a crime ...
A witness is someone who sees or knows something about a crime. For example, someone who has seen a person breaking a car window and stealing CDs is a witness.
How might you feel?
If you have seen or heard a crime happening, you may be feeling ok. Or you might be feeling quite upset, frightened, shocked, angry, guilty or confused about what you have seen.
Everyone reacts differently. You might feel sick, stressed out, find it hard to eat or sleep, be worried about going out, or find it difficult to concentrate at school. You might want to pretend it didn't happen. All these feelings are quite normal.
We have an activity on our website called 'How are you feeling?'. You might like to try playing it. Go to the activities.
What can you do?
You can get the support you need to help you feel better about what you saw or heard.
If you have been affected by witnessing a crime, it can be really difficult to talk about it. But it can be really good to talk things over with someone you trust - there are people who can help you.
Who can help you?
Talking to someone you trust can make you feel better. Here are some examples of people you could talk to:
- friends
- someone in your family
- people at school
- people who work with children or young people
- the police.
Sometimes it is easier to talk to someone who does not know you, or who is not going to get upset by what you tell them. It can help to talk to someone who understands how crime affects young people. Find out more about us, or look at our list of other helpful organisations.
If you decide you want to tell the police what you know, or the case goes to court, we can support you there too.
What is it like going to court?
Witnesses tell the court about something that happened or something they saw or heard. The court needs to know what happened so that it can decide if someone has broken the law. Witnesses are asked to come to court either by the prosecution or the defence. The side that has asked you to be a witness will tell you the date and time to go to court. There may be other witnesses at court as well as you.
How might you feel if you go to court?
Here are some things that you might be worrying about:
- seeing the person who is accused of the crime (the defendant)
- not understanding the questions
- not being believed
- speaking in front of strangers
- not understanding what you are supposed to do at court
- having your name in the newspaper
- what will happen to the defendant.
What can you do before going to court?
- Talk to someone you trust about how you are feeling.
- Have a look round a courtroom before the trial date.
Sometimes it takes several months before you are asked to go to court. It is a good idea to visit a court before the trial. You can see the waiting room and look around an empty courtroom. On the day, the trial may not take place in that courtroom, but in one like it. Talk to the Witness Service to find out how you can arrange this. The Witness Service is run by the charity Victim Support. There is a Witness Service in every criminal court or you can get in touch with us beforehand.
Here are some things that you might be able to do to help:
- Visit the courtroom before the trial
- give evidence from behind a screen (not every person will be allowed to do this)
- give evidence from another room in the court building (called a TV link room)
- read your statement before giving evidence or if you made a video statement you should be allowed to see this before giving evidence
- have an adult with you to support you
- wait in the Witness Service waiting room
- ask for help or a break when giving evidence, for example, if you need to go to the toilet or feel upset.
When you come to court to give evidence, remember these three things:
- listen carefully to the questions
- answer the questions as clearly as you can
- most important - tell the truth!