Victims' Rights

“Victim” means a person against whom a criminal offense has been committed, including a minor, or if the person is killed or incapacitated, the person's spouse, parent, child, grandparent or sibling, any other person related to the person by consanguinity or affinity to the second degree or any other lawful representative of the person (unless that person is in custody for an offense or is the accused).

When children are victims of crime, their voices often become lost in the legal process. Children identified as state wards have a significantly higher risk of being lost when it comes to input in the criminal justice process.

DCS is a child welfare agency- not a prosecuting agency. Therefore, the goals of the Victim Services Unit include:

  • Working with children in DCS custody who are victims in criminal cases
  • Ensuring the voices of children in DCS custody are heard during the criminal case process
  • Ensuring DCS staff are well equipped, educated, and understand Victim's Rights and the importance of Victim's Rights compliance
  • Providing technical support to prosecutorial advocates to include legal status, placement, services, and case plan goals
  • Facilitating ongoing communication between the Prosecutorial Advocate and DCS Specialists

Letter to County Attorneys Regarding Victims' Rights from director mckay

(October 12, 2018) - 

Dear County Attorneys,

The intent of this letter is to introduce everyone to Arizona Department of Child Safety's (DCS) recently­-formed Victim Services Unit, highlight our ongoing relationship with Arizona Voice for Crime Victims ("AVCV") and discuss the ramifications of an important victims' rights decision recently handed down by the Arizona Court of Appeals.

Read the full letter by clicking the button below.

Letter with attachment to County Attorneys

 

DCS creates unit to protect child victims' rights

(May 15, 2018) - 

When children are victims of crime, their voices often become lost in the legal process. But children, like adults, are entitled to specific rights. That is why the Department of Child Safety has become the first child welfare agency in the nation to develop a specialized unit to safeguard victims’ rights for children.

Link to News Release

 

For additional information regarding the Victim Services Unit, including complaint notification and instructions, please see the Victim Services Unit Policy.