|
Rights and Duties of a Victim
As a victim of a crime in Virginia, you have certain legal rights and also certain obligations as a witness against the accused. As a witness to a crime, you must cooperate fully with Commonwealth Attorney's office and testify in court if requested.
As a victim you may seek compensation (payment) from the accused for your property and personal injury losses. You should seek the aid of your lawyer if you want to do this.
Also you may qualify for compensation under the Virginia Crime Victims Compensation Act. To qualify for compensation under this act, you must show that a crime was committed which resulted in injury to you, and that you in no way contributed to this crime. You must also show that you reported the crime to the police not more than 48 hours after it happened, and cooperated fully with the police in their investigation of the crime. In addition, to qualify for compensation, you must show that your injury or loss cause you more than normal financial hardship making it impossible to keep you usual standard of living. You cannot receive compensation under this act if you have already been reimbursed (paid) by any other source such as insurance.
To apply for compensation under the act, or for more information, you should contact the Division of Crime Victims compensation Industrial Commission of Virginia, P.O. Box 1794, Richmond, Virginia 23214. Telephone (804) 786-5171.
|
