Victim support organisations

When you have experienced a crime, you may want to talk to professional advisors to get help. Some organisations offer support across a wide range of issues, others focus on specific crimes or victim groups.

Who can I talk to?

You can call the COPFS Enquiry Point on 0300 020 3000 and we can provide information and advice on support organisations that may be able to help you.

You will also find details of some support organisations available to you below.

General support

Victim Support Scotland
Free and confidential support for anyone affected by crime.

Victims from Minority Ethnic Groups

Amina – Muslim Women’s Resource Centre
Runs a women’s friendship group, helpline and chat service. Supports Muslim and BME women in a culturally sensitive way.

MEVSS - Minority Ethnic Victim Support Services

Health and wellbeing activities, as well as advice and information, for people from a minority ethnic background who have been affected by crime.

Roshni
For victims and potential victims of domestic abuse, forced marriage and honour-based crime. Includes support for children.

Shakti Women’s Aid
Support for abused BAME women, children and young people.

Bereavement

Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland
Counselling and listening to people who want to talk about the loss of a loved one. This includes those bereaved as a result of crime.

People Experiencing Trauma and Loss (PETAL)
Practical, emotional, and group support for families and friends of murder and suicide victims.

Support for Families Bereaved by Crime service | Victim Support Scotland
Offers support to families and next of kin bereaved by crime.

The Moira Fund
Helping those traumatically bereaved by the murder or manslaughter of a loved one.

The Manda Centre
Support centre for families and friends affected by trauma, loss, and personal crisis.

Children

Barnardo’s
Helping protect, support and nurture the UK's most vulnerable children.

Childline
Free, confidential support for children feeling worried, including about crime or the threat of crime.

Children 1st Parentline
Helping to protect vulnerable children and supporting families under stress.

NSPCC | The UK children’s charity | NSPCC
Tackling child abuse. Advice for adults concerned about a child.

Stop It Now!
Helping prevent child sexual abuse. Supports adults wanting to change their behaviour or concerned about a child. Also adults who were abused as children.

Domestic abuse

Abused Men in Scotland (AMIS)
Helpline for men who experience domestic abuse. Includes knowledge base of articles.

ASSIST
Passes information between abuse victims and other agencies. Helps assess safety risks and coordinate community responses.

FearFree
Support for people who identify as a man or from the LGBT+ community and experience domestic abuse in Scotland.

Galop
The LGBT+ anti-violence charity runs an AI chatbot service called Flag. It also operates a domestic abuse survivor’s forum.

Hemat Gryffe
Provides refuge accommodation, outreach and follow on services primarily to women, children and young people from the Asian, Black, and Minority Ethnic community experiencing domestic abuse, forced marriage and honour abuse. 

Respect: Men’s advice line
Non-judgmental, emotional support for male victims, their families, and their support workers.

Respect UK
Works with perpetrators of abuse, male victims, and young people who use violence and abuse.

Scotland’s domestic abuse and forced marriage helpline
24/7 support by phone, web chat, and email. Confidential translation service available.

Scottish Women's Aid
Campaigning for abused women and their children. Includes online chat.

Sexual abuse

In Care Survivors Service Scotland
Trauma counselling for adults who suffered childhood abuse in care.

National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC)
Helpline supporting adult survivors of all types of childhood abuse. This includes physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, and neglect.

NHS Scotland sexual assault self-referral phone service
The NHS Scotland sexual assault self-referral phone service can help to arrange care for you in the days following a rape or sexual assault.

Rape Crisis Scotland helpline
Crisis support for anyone in Scotland affected by sexual violence at any time in their lives.

Safer Scotland
Help for victims of intimate image abuse. This is where people share or threaten to share intimate images without your consent. This includes so-called ‘revenge porn’.

Say Women
Supporting homeless, sexually abused, young women. Offers safe, semi-supported accommodation and emotional support.

Speak Out Scotland (SCIO)
Free, open-ended complex trauma therapy for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). (Non-offenders only.)

Survivors of Childhood Abuse Support Fund: 2020-2021 Scottish Government list of organisations supporting and connecting survivors of abuse.

Stalking

Action Against Stalking
Care and psychological support from professionals. Training for supporters of victims of stalking.

National Stalking Helpline | Suzy Lamplugh Trust
Practical information and advice for victims of stalking. Includes risk assessment and safety planning.

Violence

Scottish Women’s Rights Centre
Legal advice and representation for women affected by gender-based violence. Holds surgeries.

Women’s Support Project
Rights & Choices programme befriends and finds work for abused migrant women.

Other crimes

Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB)
Support and compensation for victims of a motor terrorism event.

Sacro: Safeguarding Communities – Reducing Offending
Restorative justice intervention for both adult and youth crimes.