Friday, June 24th, 2022 is a day to remember!
It is a day that has been etched in our history, as on the morning of Friday, June 24th, 2022, The Turks and Caicos Islands Victims and Witnesses Support Unit (VWSU) was officially launched by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) in collaboration with the Criminal Justice Stakeholders Group (CJSG).
The launch of The Turks and Caicos Islands Victims and Witnesses Support Unit will now ensure that, among other things, not only the interests and rights of victims and witnesses of crime are respected and protected but that these persons are also provided with personalized help and support services of the highest standards in accordance with our Charter. As the Learned Director of Public Prosecutions, Eugene Otuonye, KC, set out in his Overview of the VWSU, the launch has started a 3-pronged campaign:
(a) Campaign to highlight why and how the interests of victims and witnesses should be at the heart of our criminal justice delivery;
(b) Campaign to regain the trust and confidence of victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system;
(c) Campaign to educate and sensitize the public on their civic, moral and legal obligation not only to report crime, but more importantly, to assist in bringing perpetrators to justice.
In essence, as emphasized at the launch by the Hon. Chief Justice to the delight of the audience, “ … the criminal justice system in these islands has been given a new direction, a new purpose, and a new face. These new properties may be described in one word, and it is, empathy…”