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Thousands of victims of crime and their families are continuing to benefit from the Government’s Offender Levy, which has generated more than $25 million since it was introduced.
The $50 levy has been imposed on all offenders at the point of sentencing since 2010.
It is used to fund services for victims of serious crime and helps ensure offenders contribute to addressing the harm their crimes cause.
In the 2015/16 financial year $4.1 million in support and services helped around 5700 people. This included $1.7 million for supporting sexual violence victims in court, such as by employing specialist advisors who helped about 1,400 people through the court process.
The offender levy also funded financial assistance such as travel grants for victims who need to travel to attend court, restorative justice meetings and parole hearings, and grants to families of homicide victims to help with funeral expenses, lost income and counselling.
