Plea Hearings and Victim Impact Statements
If the person is found guilty, there will be a plea hearing and a sentence hearing.
The plea hearing is where the court hears from the Prosecuting Barrister and the Defence Barrister about the sentence or punishment the person could receive. If you are the victim, and the decision is that the person is guilty, you can write a victim impact statement. A victim impact statement tells the court how the crime has affected you. Other members of your family can write victim impact statements too. You can talk to your child witness officer or the police officer about this or if you want to find out more information link to the Victims of Crime Website.
This statement can be read out aloud in court if you want it to be.