Victim Support Unit

The need for Victim Support Units (VSU's) was recognized nationally in 1996 and there summarily put in place through the National Crime Prevention Strategy with help from  Business Against Crime.  The thinking behind the formation of VSU's was that the absence of aid and empowerment plays an important role in the cyclical nature of crime and violence ie that victims are often re-victimized by ignorant and insensitive service providers in the criminal justice service.



Given that the Police are often the first to come into contact with victims of crime and violence, their interaction with victims is therefore crucial and can affect the way victims cope with re-victimization and how they recover.

Hoedspruit Victim Support Unit (VSU) has been in existence since 2008 and works closely with Hoedspruit SAPS and with Hoedspuit Farmwatch to assist all victims of traumatic experiences within the region.    VSU deals with the first 72 hours after an incident imparting something known as  Emotional Diffusion, which assists a Victim in re-framing the traumatic experience from the outset,

In response to criminal activities, VSU plays a very important role in  assisting traumatised victims to calm down and help recall important details about the perpetrators and the incident that can be used by SAPS and Farmwatch in identifying and catching the perpetrators thereafter.



VSU also plays an important role in motor vehicle accidents, specifically where there are stranded tourists or visitors to the region.