3. Get victim and witness support

If you're the victim of or a witness to a violent crime, the Crown or police will usually connect you to Victim/Witness Assistance Program (VWAP). You can also contact VWAP services on your own.

VWAP staff can help you get ready to be a witness. They can tell you what to expect on your court date. They might also give you a tour of the court.

And they can refer you to other support services you might need, like counselling or safety planning.

VWAP staff can also get you a copy of your police statement for you to review before the trial. But VWAP staff can't discuss the evidence in the case with you. Instead, VWAP staff can help you ask the Crown and the police for what you need. In some cases, they can set up a pre-trial interview with the Crown to discuss your evidence.

There are other things the court can let you do to make you more comfortable if you are afraid to testify. For example, you can:

• testify behind a screen so you don't have to see your attacker
• have a support person with you

You should talk to the Crown or VWAP about these options. Witnesses don't always have access to these options so the Crown will have to ask the judge if it's ok in your case. You might have to testify about why you need to use these options. The judge might say no if they think it will be unfair to the accused.