The Taylor* Family’s Story – Victims’ Awareness Week

Content warning: This blog contains references to murder and the impact of bereavement. 

This Victims’ Awareness Week, we are asking people to Listen. Act. Hope. – to create a better future for people who have been impacted by crime. As part of this, we are sharing the stories of people who have lived experience of being affected by crime.

Here, the Taylor family share their experience of being bereaved of a family member due to murder. Frustratingly, they faced numerous issues after the crime had taken place, before being put in touch with VSS for support.

We are grateful to them for sharing their story with us to add their voices to a call for change within the criminal justice system – for people to listen to victims and act to create better outcomes and hope for a brighter future.

Our experience with the justice system 

“Our initial experience with the criminal justice system was several decades ago after being bereaved of a family member due to crime. Our main issue was having to clean the crime scene due to multiple agency failures. We felt like no one was listening to us, with no support, no information, no signposting to agencies like Victim Support Scotland who could have helped us at the time.

“The impact of this resulted in us escalating several complaints to multiple agencies within the criminal justice system. There was nothing in our case that was simple, and information was not freely available or forthcoming from any services. We had to ask questions and felt very frustrated with the lack of communication from Police, courts, the Scottish Prison Service, the Parole Board for Scotland, the Victim Notification Scheme, and other services.”

Barriers throughout the justice process 

“Other issues we faced were not knowing who to ask or turn to for information on the various stages of the justice system. We have spent many years speaking with various members of parliament and other agencies, bringing to light our experiences and working with them to close loopholes and ensuring other victims’ families do not have to suffer the same injustices we faced. To name a few things, for example, the Scottish Prison Service still need to be more forthcoming with victim-specific data, prisoner licence requirements, and release information, including exclusion zones.

“At the moment, victims receive generic parole summary letters almost identical to other families, that lack any details regarding the hearing and never arrive in a timely manner. To improve victim experiences the Victim Notification Scheme should call the victim promptly with specific information and refrain from using generic letter templates to ensure a personalised service.

“We have also tirelessly campaigned behind the scenes to have transparency throughout the criminal justice system. Victims can now apply for a copy of court transcripts, a crime scene/homicide clean-up fund was put in place, and we piloted the first parole hearing attendance for victims’ families as silent observers to pave the way for future victims, and to ensure the transparency of the Parole Board.”

The importance of support for victims, witnesses, and their families 

“Once we engaged with Victim Support Scotland we were provided with emotional and practical support. Our Key Support Workers from the VSS Support for Families Bereaved by Crime service changed a few times over the years, but each new key worker was fully up to date with our situation to prevent traumatisation, which was greatly appreciated, and they have attended multiple Parole Hearings with us.

“We received assistance via security cameras for our homes, which helps us feel safe, and they use our preferred contact method to keep us up to date with up-and-coming events and any relevant information.

“Signposting is the most important information that a victim of crime needs to know from the beginning. They need to know who can help them with what issues or questions they are facing in their situation and what the next steps are.

“We wish we had earlier access to important first-stage information regarding what happens following a murder, such as; seeing a loved one’s body, authorities refusing to cremate a body because of hearing impairments, burial of the deceased in a different place since the body might be exhumed during the hearing, and obtaining copies of the pathologist’s report, appearing in court as a witness, and obtaining copies of the court transcript—all of which you would overlook if you were a witness.

“Being informed of the stages of the aftermath of murder is very important. Victim Support Scotland are able to let you know when and by whom specific information is provided. VSS are soon launching a new and improved website, informed by the views of people with lived experience – it provides a wealth of information and empowers people affected by crime to request support.”

Our hopes for the future 

“Our hopes for the future of the criminal justice system is that the victim is humanised, the processes are made fully transparent and include the victim at its heart, not the criminal.

“Unfortunately we keep coming across loopholes in the criminal justice system and after many years we are still trying to close as many as possible.”