Report it!

If you have been the victim of a crime, it’s important to know that it was not your fault.

We know that reporting a crime can be really scary and there might be a number of reasons why you might not want to make a report. Whether you decide to make a report to the police or not, you can still

get help

You should never feel any pressure to report a crime if you are uncomfortable about it. It can be intimidating to talk to the police but remember you have done nothing wrong. The police are here to help you.

We have met with Guernsey Police multiple times and are confident that they will take your report seriously and do everything they can to support you.

Police emergency number: 999

Police non-emergency number: 222 222

If you choose to make a report to the police, there are 4 phases that the police will then follow.

Phase 1: Initial report

The first thing the police will do is make sure that you are safe.

You will then be asked to give an account of what has happened to you. If there might be any recent forensic evidence to collect in your case, you may be asked to go for a medical examination with a qualified medical examiner, but only if it is necessary and only with your consent.

Phase 1 allows the police to start their investigation, secure vital evidence and protect you and other people from further harm.

The police will offer to refer you to a specialist support service (like Victim Support) to help you through the process. Remember, you can also refer yourself to these services if you don’t want to speak to the police.

Phase 2: Investigation

The investigation will give the police more information about the crime you have reported.

After your initial report, you will be asked to give a formal statement. This is sometimes called an ‘Achieving Best Evidence’ (ABE) interview where you will be asked to recall the event(s) in as much detail as possible, to help with the investigation. With your consent, the ABE interview will be video recorded. If the case goes to trial, the video may be played in court instead of you having to give your account in person.

If you don’t like the idea of being video recorded, you can choose to provide an audio or written statement. During this phase the police might ask for your consent to secure evidence from your phone, social media accounts or ask you about relevant records held by other organisations.

You will be kept updated about your case progress and can continue to access independent, confidential support, including pre-trial therapy.

Phase 3: Building the case

When you get to Stage 3, you might feel like things have slowed down.

The police will try to build the strongest case possible against the suspect, which can often take a long time, sometimes months.

However, you will still be kept regularly updated about the progress of your case, as per a contact plan which the police will set up with you. If the police believes there is enough evidence they will ask the Law Officers of the Crown for their opinion about charging a suspect with the offence(s) and share

It may be that police feel there is insufficient evidence to continue with a prosecution, in which case we will not refer to the Law Officers, and will make a decision to close the investigation. If this happens, you will be informed fully of the reasons for this decision.

Phase 4: Prosecution decision

In this phase, all the available evidence is assessed thoroughly, and a decision is made about whether there is enough evidence for the case to go to court.

The case might be closed at this stage, if it is decided there is not enough evidence available for there to be a realistic prospect that the suspect could be convicted if the case went to court. A case may also be closed if a prosecution is prevented or it is deemed ‘not in the public interest’, for example if the suspect is too old or sick to stand trial.

If it is decided there is enough evidence to take your case to court, you can receive support from the Victim Support & Witness Service throughout the trial process.

After the trial, the accused could be found guilty or not guilty. If the accused is found guilty, they will receive a sentence from the court. The court can order different types of punishment, including for some cases the offender going to prison.

You can find out more about the possible sentences here.