Napier SAPS Victim Empowerment Room (VEP Room)

Napier SAPS Victim Empowerment Room (VEP Room)

On Wednesday, 28 September 2022 Napier SAPS and Napier Community Police Forum officially re-launched the Napier SAPS Victim Empowerment Room (VEP Room) that was made possible by the Overberg District Municipality. The VEP room was recently revamped to adhere to the specific requirements regulating VEP rooms. 

“It is time for SAPS and the community to take hands so that the people of Napier can feel safer, but this can only happen when there is a trust and respect relationship. We cannot change SAPS, but we can change Napier SAPS, so let’s make a difference here in Napier”, said Brigadier Donovan Heilbron, Cluster Commander of the Overberg.

SAPS Victim Empowerment Programme

The SAPS is committed to improving our services to the victims of crime at all police stations and relevant units.

The privacy of a victim must be protected by interviewing the victim in private, either in a victim-friendly room (VFR) situated at the police station or in the absence of a VFR, in an alternative room at the police station where a victim can be interviewed in private. This service must be offered to a victim in order to protect the victim’s right to privacy.

Victims of crime, especially sexual offences and other serious and violent crimes, have the right to be treated with fairness, respect, dignity and in private when reporting a crime. Victims have the right to a victim-friendly service.

What is a victim-friendly service?

This is a service where the dignity and rights of victims are protected, and the victim is empowered and not subjected to secondary victimization by the inefficiency of the members of the criminal justice system. The four basic elements of victim empowerment are emotional support, practical support, providing information and referral to professional support services.

Victims have the following rights:

• The right to be treated with fairness, and with respect for dignity and privacy
• The right to offer information
• The right to receive information
• The right to protection
• The right to assistance
• The right to compensation
• The right to restitution

All victims must be treated with fairness, respect and courtesy, in private, without discrimination, regardless of circumstances, population group, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation and appearance.