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Relatives who can take part in the Victim Notification Scheme
There are some circumstances when a relative or carer can join the VNS on a victim's behalf:
- If the victim has died, then the 4 relatives listed highest can register to join the VNS and they are listed below.
- Where the victim is incapacitated, then only the highest person listed below may register to join
- Where the victim is a child under 14, the parent or carer can register on the child's behalf.
If however, the victim is unable to communicate, but this can be overcome by a human or mechanical aid (e.g. where the victim is unable to write but can tell someone else what (s)he wants to say) the right to join the VNS stays with the victim.
The eligible nearest relatives are:
(a) spouse;
(b) cohabitee 1;
(c) son or daughter or any person that the victim had parental rights or responsibilities for;
(d) father or mother or any person who had parental rights or responsibilities towards the victim;
(e) brother or sister;
(f) grandparent;
(g) grandchild;
(h) uncle or aunt;
(i) nephew or niece,
and the elder of any two persons described in any one of paragraphs (a) to (i) is to be taken to be the higher listed person, regardless of sex.
For example, in a case where a victim has died leaving a wife, 2 (living) parents and 2 brothers, the wife, both parents and the elder of the brothers would be invited to join the VNS. If one parent decided not to join, no others would be invited to take their place from further down the list.
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