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After a crime happens, people are often confused and overwhelmed. This is normal. There are people to help you. The helpers are called “Victim’s Advocates”. They will help you for free, make things easier to understand, and answer your questions. They can also help in other ways as well. Call them using the phone numbers you will see below to find out what they can do for you.
You may have heard that the person who committed the crime against you has “rights” under the law. Pennsylvania has a “Victims Bill of Rights”. This page will tell you about your rights. Some of your rights are to:
There are many more rights that you have. A Victim Advocate will be able to help you understand them and tell you which ones apply to your case. A full list of your rights is provided at the bottom of this page. The following section will detail some of the resources that are available to you as the victim of a crime.
24-hour Sexual Assault Hotline 610-692-7273
24-hour Other Crimes Hotline 610-692-7420
Website – www.cvcofcc.org
Sexual Assault Victim Services for Children and Adults – Crisis response, counseling, accompaniment through police, medical, and legal procedures, advocacy, support information, and referral for victims of sexual assault and their significant others.
Adult Victim/Witness Assistance and Juvenile Court Victims/Witness Assistance Programs – Information on victims’ rights and services for all victims/witnesses in the criminal and juvenile justice systems and community.
Other Crime Victim Services – Other services include, but are not limited to homicide, child abuse, elder abuse, robbery, assault, burglary, stalking, harassment, internet crimes, and human trafficking – Crisis response, counseling, accompaniment through police, medical and legal procedures, advocacy, support, information, and referral for all victims/witnesses of a crime and their significant others.
Victim Compensation Assistance Program – You may be entitled to compensation and restitution. The Crimes Victims’ Center of Chester County can guide and assist you.
24-hour Hotline 610-431-1430
Toll Free Hotline 1-888-711-6270
TTY Line 610-431-7262
Website – www.dvccc.com
The Domestic Violence Center of Chester County provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, support groups, court accompaniment, legal representation and advocacy, and referrals for victims of domestic violence and their children.
24-hour Victim Hotline 1-800-848-6233
Phone 610-328-9942
Website – www.maddpa.org
Mothers Against Drunk Driving provides advocacy, support groups, and memorial programs for victims of drunk driving
Phone 1-800-564-7000
Website - https://www.chesco.org/135/Aging
The Department of Aging provides protective services for victims of abuse and neglect who are 60 years of age or older.
This program may be able to help reimburse for money you had to pay or lost caused by a crime. Compensation may be paid to you or others for medical expenses, counseling, lost work earnings, loss of support, funeral expenses, travel costs, childcare, stolen cash, relocation, the costs to clean up a crime scene and other expenses.
Website - https://www.pccd.pa.gov/Victim-Services/Pages/Victims-Compensation-Assistance-Program-(VCAP).aspx
To receive compensation, you have to:
This program will not reimburse you for:
Remember, you or a family member may receive compensation even if you do not meet all of the requirements. To see if you may be eligible, or for help in filing a claim, please contact The Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County, or the Pennsylvania Crime Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program at 1-800-233-2339.
The best way to file a claim is with the help of a Victim Advocate at The Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County (610-692-7420). You can also file a claim by yourself on the internet at www.pccd.state.pa.us.
If you are a victim of domestic violence, you have the right to go to court and file a PFA order which could:
For more information contact The Domestic Violence Center of Chester County at the 24-hour Hotline (610-431-1430) or the toll free Hotline (1-888-711-6270). Further information is also available at the Chester County Website - https://www.chesco.org/3655/Protection-from-Abuse
If you are a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking and the person who committed the crime against you does not know where you have moved or where you are about to move, this program may be able to help you stay safe. To apply for or learn more about the program contact:
Domestic Violence Center of Chester County 24-hour Hotline 610-431-1430
Domestic Violence Center of Chester County toll free Hotline 1-888-711-6270
The Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County 24-hour Hotline 610-692-7420
The Office of the Victim Advocate 1-800-563-6399
Website - https://pcv.pccd.pa.gov/available-services/Pages/Address-Confidentiality.aspx
You have the right to have a Forensic Rape Exam (FRE) without paying for the exam or having to speak with the police. The police will hold onto the FRE Evidence Kit for two years. Without your permission, the police will not investigate the sexual assault. If, at the end of the two years, you still do not make a report to police, you will be notified 60 days before the kit is destroyed. If you choose to report to the police before the two years is up, the kit will not be destroyed.
Website - https://pcar.org/help-pa/medical
If you are a victim of a sexual assault and the abuser is not a family member or household member, you may be able to go to court and file a “No Contact Order” against the offender.
Website - https://www.chesco.org/Faq.aspx?QID=719
If you are under the age of 18 and you are being harassed or stalked by a person over the age of 18 and they are not a family member or household member, you may be able to go to court and file a “No Contact Order” against the offender.
24-hour Sexual Assault Hotline 610-692-7273
24-hour Other Crimes Hotline 610-692-7420
Website - https://www.cvcofcc.org/
You can register to be notified when a particular inmate is released, transferred, or escapes from a county jail or state prison. For more information, go to www.vinelink.com and click “PA-SAVIN”, or contact The Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County.
Victims’ Rights are found in many different laws. Below is a list of your rights. You do not have to do anything to get most of these rights. However, you must ask for the ones that are underlined.
If you are a victim of a crime in Pennsylvania, you have the right:
Victims of personal injury crimes have the following additional rights:
Victims of crimes committed by a juvenile have the following additional rights:
Victims of personal injury or burglary crimes have the following additional rights:
Victims of a personal injury crime committed by a juvenile have the following additional rights, upon their request:
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR HELP IN UNDERSTANDING THESE RIGHTS, PLEASE CONTACT THE CRIME VICTIMS’ CENTER OF CHESTER COUNTY at 610-692-7420. VICTIM ADVOCATES AT THE CRIME VICTIMS’ CENTER WILL BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN YOUR RIGHTS, WHICH CAN BE HARD TO UNDERSTAND. THEY CAN ALSO HELP YOU WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
Although you are not responsible for your victimization, there are certain actions you can take that will help address many issues that have resulted from your victimization.
In order to be kept informed about your case and to get information, you must give your address and telephone number to agencies that will assist you with your rights. You must also tell them if your address or telephone number changes.
For child victims, a parent or legal guardian must provide your address and telephone number.
For a homicide, a surviving family member(s) must provide your address and telephone number.
Only staff who work for the Police, District Attorney’s Office, Victim Services, or the Corrections Department will see your address and telephone number.
No one else will be given your address or telephone number unless you approve it in writing.