On Friday 23rd September, Dame Vera Baird announced that her term as Victims’ Commissioner would be ending. The Victims’ Commissioner wrote to the Justice Secretary to inform him of her intention to end her term as Commissioner on Friday 30 September 2022. There is currently no successor in place for this role. 

Click here to read Dame Vera’s statement >>

The Survivors Trust would like to thank Dame Vera Baird for the passion and unwavering commitment she has shown in supporting much-needed change for victims during her time as Victims’ Commissioner.

For many years Dame Vera has worked closely with the specialist rape and sexual abuse voluntary sector and is an influential advocate for survivors of sexual violence and abuse. The Survivors Trust has deeply valued Dame Vera’s willingness to listen to and proactively engage with the specialist voluntary sector to ensure the experiences of our member organisations and the survivors they support are acknowledged. This includes her pivotal role in driving forward consultations to ensure victims of crime have their voices heard.

We also echo Dame Vera’s statement highlighting the importance of the Victims’ Commissioner role. At a time when the criminal justice system is failing victims and there is a devastating backlog in our courts, securing a successor for this role should be a priority. Going forwards we expect to see an explicit commitment, time and support given to this role.