Yes, PLEASE Complain
Yes, please complain — it helps improve the system
Every victim of crime deserves to be treated with respect. Justice and support agencies should follow the Victims Charter when helping victims of crime. If that doesn’t happen, victims can speak up, and their complaint should be taken seriously.
If you are:
· a victim of crime or a witness, and
· the agency did not treat you as you should have been treated, and
· there is a breach of the Victims Charter Act (2006), and
· you have already complained to the service, and
· you feel your complaint was not properly handled
then you can contact the Victims of Crime Commissioner to discuss your complaint.
Call: 1800 010 017
Email: enquiries@vocc.vic.gov.au
Visit: victimsofcrimecommissioner.vic.gov.au
Many people don’t make complaints
In 2025, Commissioner Langdon reviewed how well the Victims Charter is working. She found that most people didn’t know they could complain to her office if they weren’t treated with dignity, courtesy and respect.
People might be afraid of what could happen or think it will take too much effort for no result. But making a complaint can help fix problems and make things better for others.
For many people, complaining can be hard. Victims may worry about having to relive bad memories or fear that services won’t help them in the future. Some groups find it even harder, such as:
· Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
· LGBTIQA+ people
· Victim survivors with disability
· People from multicultural or multifaith backgrounds
· People living in regional or rural areas
Complaints to the Commissioner show where the system isn’t working and help find ways to improve how victims are treated. Complaints also help the Commissioner spot patterns or ongoing problems.
The Victims of Crime Commissioner listens to and looks into complaints about how victims of crime are treated, checking if justice and victim support agencies are following the Victims’ Charter, the law that says how victims should be treated.
The Commissioner can only take complaints that are about the Victims Charter, but the Complaints and Enquiries team can give you information about other ways to make a complaint.
Recommendations from the Review of the Victims Charter
Some people told the Commissioner it would be easier and safer if victims could speak straight to the Commissioner’s office with their complaint, instead of first complaining to a justice agency. They said:
“Better for victims to have choice to go to the Victims of Crime Commissioner rather than directly to an agency in a regional or rural area.”1
“Victims are afraid to complain to the agency because scared that next time they need a service it won’t be provided.”2
“It is not always safe or viable to report directly to the agency and victim survivors are not sure about what will happen after they have made a complaint.”3
“It is so hard for a victim to ‘fight’ with an offending agency. Commissioner is the ‘safe’ option to speak to” 4
The Commissioner has recommended changes to the law to make this happen. Victims should be able to choose to complain directly to the Commissioner, and agencies must tell them they can do this.
These changes haven’t happened yet.
Commissioner Langdon: “Ultimately, all victims of crime deserve to be listened to and treated with courtesy and respect, and when that doesn’t happen, they deserve to make a complaint and know that it will be treated seriously and in line with their rights”.
1-4 quotes made by participants to the Victims’ Charter Review, 2025. For more information see the full report here: Review of the operation of the Victims' Charter Act 2006 and its benefits for victims