Office for Victims of Crime
Learn about the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and how it advises the Ontario government on the diverse needs of victims of crime.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call your local police or 9-1-1. If you, or someone you know, is a victim of crime and needs help or has questions, call the Victim Support Line (VSL), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at
Overview
The Office for Victims of Crimes (OVC) provides advice to the Attorney General on victims’ issues, including:
- making sure the principles in Ontario’s Victims’ Bill of Rights are respected
- developing, implementing and maintaining provincial standards for services for victims
- using the Victims’ Justice Fund to support and improve services for victims
- research and education on laws and policies on the treatment of victims and ways to prevent further victimization
The OVC’s advice is informed by its board members’ expertise and through consultation with a range of people, including:
- those who have experienced victimization and/or provided support to victims
- criminal justice personnel
- academics
- others with expertise in victimization
The OVC does not provide direct services to victims of crime. Learn more about how to find services for victims of crime.
The OVC does not provide legal advice. Learn more about how to find a lawyer or paralegal.
Appointed members
The OVC consists of a part-time chair and three part-time members appointed by the government. All members have special expertise in the area of victimization.
Information about current appointees can be found on the Public Appointments Secretariat’s website at:
https://www.pas.gov.on.ca/Home/Agency/457
Board member expenses
Under the Agencies and Appointments Directive and the Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expenses Directive, provincial agencies, such as the Office for Victims of Crime, are required to post their expense information for designated individuals (including former appointed members).
Victims’ Bill of Rights
Ontario’s Victims’ Bill of Rights establishes a set of principles to support victims of crime throughout the justice process. It requires that victims be treated with:
- courtesy
- compassion
- respect for their personal dignity and privacy
Learn more about the principles that apply to the treatment of victims of crime.
Ontario’s Victims’ Bill of Rights also specifies that victims should have information about all the following:
- services and remedies available to them
- financial compensation that might assist them
- the protection that is available to them to prevent unlawful intimidation
- the progress of police investigations that relate to the crime
- the charges laid with respect to the crime, and if no charges are laid the reasons why
- procedures of the court and the victims’ role in the prosecution
- dates and places of court proceedings, and the outcome of the proceedings including any appeals
- any pre-trial arrangements made with the accused that relate to a plea entered at the trial
- the release of an accused on bail
- the sentence given to an accused, if convicted
- a decision that the accused is unfit to stand trial or who was found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder
- their right to submit a victim impact statement
- notice of any application for the offender’s release, and notice if the offender escapes
Victims’ Justice Fund
The Victims’ Justice Fund (VJF) is an important source of funding for key victim services programming in Ontario.
Under Ontario’s Victims’ Bill of Rights, money paid into the VJF is used to help victims of Criminal Code offences.
Learn more about how the fund collects money and what the fund supports.
Office for Victims of Crime contact
You can share information about your experiences after victimization, including positive experiences and challenges with any service or support you received or tried to access.
This information can be provided by phone or via email. Please note that the OVC is not able to assist with specific case matters.
- Office for Victims of Crime
- Mailing address only
- 720 Bay Street, Ground Floor
- Toronto, ON
- M7A 2S9
- Toronto & Area:
416-326-1682 TTY: 416-849-4110 - ovc@ontario.ca