A set of rights that most victims never hear about
People who report a burglary usually expect a crime number and not much else. In England and Wales, the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, known as the Victims’ Code, sets out minimum standards that police and other organisations must provide to victims. This article summarises the version on GOV.UK, last updated on 29 January 2025. It applies to crime committed or prosecuted in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate arrangements, which are outside the scope of this article. It is general information, not legal advice.
What the Code is and who must follow it
The Code lists organisations, called service providers, that must comply. They include all police forces in England and Wales, police and crime commissioners, the British Transport Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, the prison and probation services, the Parole Board and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. The Code states that victims should be treated in a respectful, sensitive and professional manner without discrimination, and that the rights apply regardless of resident status.
The Code sets out 12 rights. Those most relevant after a burglary are covered below.
Getting the crime recorded and confirmed in writing
The second right is to have the details of the crime recorded without unjustified delay. The third is to be given information when reporting. Under that right, the police must provide written confirmation that includes the basic details of the offence, a crime reference number and the contact details of the officer dealing with the case. Section 3.6 says this information must be provided within five working days of reporting, or one working day for victims who qualify for Enhanced Rights.
The written acknowledgement establishes a crime reference number and a named contact for updates. A householder who has not received it within the stated period can ask the police force concerned about it, citing the Code.
Support services
Under the fourth right, victims are to be referred to services that support victims and to receive tailored support. Section 4.5 says that the police will refer a victim to a support service within two working days, and the Code describes such services as helping victims cope and, as far as possible, recover after a crime. The Code says a victim may decide not to receive some or all of the rights offered, but that this does not apply to the right of access to support.
The support right is not limited to the most serious offences: the Code applies to victims of crime generally.
Updates on the investigation
The sixth right covers information about the investigation and prosecution. Section 6.1 requires victims to be told within five working days when a suspect is arrested, interviewed, released without charge or released on bail, and section 6.13 requires notice within five working days of the offence charged and the date of the first court hearing. Both periods shorten to one working day under Enhanced Rights.
Where a decision is made not to prosecute, sections 6.10 and 6.11 describe the Victims’ Right to Review, which allows a victim to ask for that decision to be reviewed.
Enhanced Rights and who qualifies
Enhanced Rights apply to three groups: vulnerable or intimidated victims, victims of the most serious crime, and persistently targeted victims. The Code describes the last group as those who have been repeatedly targeted over time. A household repeatedly burgled or harassed might therefore be able to ask whether it falls into that category, though whether it does is for the police to assess against the Code.
Victim Personal Statements, property and compensation
The seventh right allows a victim to explain how the crime affected them, physically, emotionally and financially, in a Victim Personal Statement, at any time before sentencing. The Code cautions that there may be no opportunity once the court hearing has begun, particularly where the defendant pleads guilty.
Section 10.3 says that if the police took any of a victim’s property as evidence, the victim has the right to get it back as soon as it is no longer required.
On compensation, the Code says the police must explain how to apply to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, which it describes as covering serious physical or mental injury from violent crime. It says applications should normally be made within two years of the incident, and that a court may order a defendant to pay compensation on conviction.
If something goes wrong
Section 12 sets out the complaints route. A victim should first raise the problem with the service provider and, if unhappy, use its internal complaints procedure. Section 12.4 says that if the victim remains dissatisfied, they can ask their Member of Parliament to refer the complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
The bottom line
The Victims’ Code gives burglary victims in England and Wales enforceable minimum standards: written confirmation with a crime reference number, referral to support within two working days, updates on arrests and charges, a Victim Personal Statement, the return of property held as evidence, and a formal complaints route. Householders who have not received these should ask the police force concerned and, if necessary, use the complaints process the Code describes.