Reporting a crime

Staying safe

If you are the victim of a crime, it is important that you protect yourself from further harm.

You can:

• apply for an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO)
• contact the eSafety Commissioner about online threats
• protect your personal information and identity
• protect your bank accounts and online payment accounts
• access non-legal and specialist domestic violence and sexual assault support services.

For more information, see Staying safe.

Making a police report

Anyone can report a crime, even if they are not a victim or a witness of a crime. There is no time limit on reporting a crime. You can make a report even if the crime happened a long time ago. There are a few ways to report a crime to police.

In an emergency, you should call 000.

You can also:

• visit your nearest police station
• call the Police Assistance Line (PAL) on 131 444, or
• call CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.

If you need help or support to make a report, you may be able to have a support person with you when you speak to the police.

For more information, see Making a police report.

Going to court

If the police or prosecutor decide to charge the accused, they will bring the case to court. If the case goes to court, the police may want you to give evidence as a witness. The police may subpoena you to make sure that you come to court to give evidence.

If the accused is convicted of an offence, they may then be sentenced. In some cases, you may be able to provide a victim impact statement at a sentencing hearing. The court may also make a criminal compensation order directing the accused to pay you compensation.

If there is an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) application against the offender, it will be decided after the charges.

The court process is different if the offender is claiming they suffer from a mental health impairment or cognitive impairment.

For more information, see Going to court – Victims.

After court

If the accused is convicted of the offence, they may appeal their conviction or sentence to the District Court within 28 days. The prosecutor may also appeal the sentence if they think it is too lenient. The prosecutor can’t appeal if the verdict is not guilty.

If the offender is sentenced to prison, you can apply to have your name included on a Victims Register. The prosecutor must provide you with the contact details for the Victims Register that you can apply to be registered on.

If the offender is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, they may be able to apply for parole when eligible. All victims are entitled to make a written submission to the State Parole Authority about an offender’s parole application.

For more information, see After court – Victims.

Forensic patients

A forensic patient is someone held in custody because of mental illness. A court may pause a hearing while someone accused of a criminal offence gets treatment for a mental illness.

If the offender becomes a forensic patient, the process will be different.

If the offender is committed to a mental health facility, the case will be handled by the Mental Health Review Tribunal (Tribunal). Tribunal processes are different to criminal proceedings in court. The purpose of these processes is to review the offender’s detention, care and treatment. 

You have the right to know about tribunal reviews and participate in them.

For more information, see Forensic patients.

Last updated: May 2026